saturnine
Part of speech: adj
Morphological type: derivation
Topics: alchemy
astrology
biology
entomology
human-sciences
medicine
mysticism
natural-sciences
pathology
philosophy
pseudoscience
sciences
Etymology: From Middle English saturnine, satournine, satournyne, saturnin, saturnyn, saturnyne (“pertaining to or under the influence of the planet Saturn; line on the palm of the hand associated with Saturn”), from Old French saturnine, saturnin (modern French saturnin (“of, pertaining to, resembling or containing lead, plumbic”)), or directly from its etymon Medieval Latin Sāturnīnus, from Sāturnus (“the Roman god Saturn; the planet Saturn”) + -īnus (suffix meaning ‘of or pertaining to’); analysable as Saturn + -ine. The English word is cognate with Italian saturnino (“saturnine”), Portuguese saturnino (“melancholy, saturnine; pertaining to the planet Saturn”), Spanish saturnino (“melancholy, saturnine; pertaining to the planet Saturn”).
Sense 1 (“having a tendency to be cold, bitter, gloomy, etc.”) refers to the fact that individuals born under the astrological influence of the planet Saturn were believed to have that disposition.
Base: Saturn
Affixes: -ine
Inflected forms:
form: more saturnine
pos: adj
tags: comparative
form: most saturnine
pos: adj
tags: superlative
form: ♄ine
pos: adj
tags: alternative
Senses:
gloss: Of a person: having a tendency to be cold and gloomy.
pos: adj
tags: comparable
examples: Alſo amongſt the aforeſaid living creatures, ſome are Solar, [...] the contrary, are ſuch as are Lunar, Saturnine, and Martiall, &c. [...] The Saturnine, are the ſolitary, nocturnall and ſad: as the Aſſe, camel, cat, ape, hare, mule, mouſe, mole, bear, toad, and wolfe.
I may cast my readers under two general divisions: the mercurial and the saturnine. The first are the gay part of my disciples, who require speculations of wit and humour; the others are those of a more solemn and sober turn, who find no pleasure but in papers of morality and sound sense.
Theſe gentlemen, with an equal ſhare of pride, pedantry, and ſaturnine diſpoſition, were by the accidents of education and company, diametrically oppoſite in political maxims; [...]
He [Samuel Johnson] said, "Mr. [John] Wesley's conversation is good; he talks well on any subject; I could converse with him all night." But Dr. Johnson would certainly not have expressed himself in this strong language of approbation, had Mr. Wesley been that dark, saturnine creature, represented by Archbishop [Thomas] Herring.
As the eye of the injured man slowly passed from the body of the seducer to the partner and victim of his crime, [...] his features, naturally coarse and saturnine, assumed a dignity of expression which overawed the young Templars, [...]
The monstrous thought came into my mind as I perused the fixed eyes and the saturnine face, that this was a spirit, not a man.
Accordingly, having indicated our wish to a middle-aged individual of an unusually saturnine cast of countenance, even among this saturnine people, who appeared to be deputed to look after us now that the Father of the hamlet had departed, we started in a body - having first lit our pipes.
gloss: Of a setting: depressing, dull, gloomy.
pos: adj
tags: comparable
examples: All the Herbs which delight moſt to grow in Saturnine places, are Saturnine Herbs. But Henbane delights moſt to grow in Saturnine places, and whol Cart loads of it may be found neer the places where they empty the common Jakes, and ſcarce a ſtinking Ditch to be found without, it growing by it. Ergo 'tis an Herb of Saturn.
This saturnine line of thinking proceeds as the clouds overhead start to coalesce and the sky takes on its regular clothy P.M. weight.
It is not easy to kick off a new era with the requisite upbeat mood when the saturnine sight of a near-vacant arena evokes the apathy caused by past disappointments.
gloss: Synonym of leaden, of or related to the metal lead, associated with the planet Saturn in European alchemy.
pos: adj
tags: archaic
comparable
examples: The ſwelled teſticles frequently accompanying a gonorrhea will very well illuſtrate the effects of emollient, ſaturnine, and common aſtringent and ſtimulant topics. [...] Saturnine applications have been uſed in theſe caſes with great ſucceſs. I have ſeen that the ſaturnine water made pretty ſtrong, applied cold, and aſſiſted by proper poſture and bandage, remove the tumour and pain in a ſhort time, and duly continued, take away all hardneſs.
But the operation of lead on the ſyſtem is powerfully ſedative and debilitating, and directly adverſe to exuberant action. Hence in the moſt acute form of the ſaturnine diſeaſe, opium, (which is ſtrongly ſtimulant on the arterial ſyſtem) is adminiſtered, with ſafety and advantage, in quantites much larger than can be borne in moſt other diſeaſes; [...]
gloss: Caused or affected by lead poisoning (saturnism).
pos: adj
tags: not-comparable
examples: The slow saturation of the animal economy by the metal renders the individual saturnine, and prepares in him a fresh ground, containing a reserve of lead, which, under the influence of accidental causes, may pass back in a notable quantity into the blood and bring on accidents analogous to those of acute poisoning or presenting special characteristics. The first effects of lead impregnation are, production of saturnine anæmia [...] acute or chronic saturnine asthma then come on; [...]
gloss: Pertaining to the astrological influence of the planet Saturn; having the characteristics of a person under such influence (see sense 1).
pos: adj
tags: not-comparable
obsolete
examples: Chiromancy hath theſe Aphoriſmes to foretell melancholy. [...] Tricaſſus, Corvinus, and others, in his book, thus hath it: The Saturnine line going from the Raſcetta through the hand, to Saturnes mount, and there interſected by certain little lines, argues melancholy: [...]
The Bright Stars in the Dragon, are Saturnine and Martial. They of Cephas, Saturnine and Jovial. They of [the] Boots Mercurial and Saturnine.
gloss: Belonging to or resembling butterflies of the family Saturnidae.
pos: adj
Related words: Saturn
Saturnalia
saturnia
Saturnian
saturnism
Derived words: saturnine gout
saturninely
saturnine mount
saturnineness
saturninity
unsaturnine
Translations:
lang: Bulgarian
word: оловен
roman: oloven
lang: Catalan
word: saturní
lang: Catalan
word: saturnina
lang: French
word: saturnin
lang: French
word: saturnine
lang: Occitan
word: saturnin
lang: Occitan
word: adornin
lang: Occitan
word: sadornin
lang: Occitan
word: savornin
lang: Picard
word: saturnin