Hypertext Webster Gateway: "contumely"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Contumely \Con"tu*me*ly\, n. [L. contumelia, prob. akin to
contemnere to despise: cf. OF. contumelie. Cf. {Contumacy}.]
Rudeness compounded of haughtiness and contempt; scornful
insolence; despiteful treatment; disdain; contemptuousness in
act or speech; disgrace.
The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely.
--Shak.
Nothing aggravates tyranny so much as contumely.
--Burke.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
contumely
n : a rude expression intended to offend or hurt; "when a
student made a stupid mistake he spared them no abuse";
"they yelled insults at the visiting team" [syn: {abuse},
{insult}, {revilement}]
Additional Hypertext Webster Gateway Lookup
Gateway by dict@stokkie.net
stock only wrote the gateway and does not have any control over the contents;
see the Webster Gateway FAQ,
and also the Back-end/database links and credits.