Hypertext Webster Gateway: "crusty"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Crusty \Crust"y\ (-[y^]), a.
1. Having the nature of crust; pertaining to a hard covering;
as, a crusty coat; a crusty surface or substance.
2. [Possibly a corruption of cursty. Cf. {Curst},
{Curstness}.] Having a hard exterior, or a short, rough
manner, though kind at heart; snappish; peevish; surly.
Thou crusty batch of nature, what's the news?
--Shak.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
crusty
adj 1: having a hardened crust as a covering [syn: {crusted}, {encrusted},
{crustlike}]
2: brusque and surly and forbidding; "crusty remarks"; "a
crusty old man"; "his curmudgeonly temper"; "gruff
manner"; "a gruff reply" [syn: {curmudgeonly}, {gruff}, {ill-humored},
{ill-humoured}]
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