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Bookish, theoretical and pedantic, as opposed to practical.
The new engineer had a donnish air, and found it difficult to communicate with the workers in the factory.
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donnish
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donnish — adj. like a university don; marked by a narrow focus on or display of learning, especially its trivial aspects. Syn: academic, pedantic, bookish. [WordNet 1.5] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
donnish — 1835, from DON (Cf. don) (n.) in the university sense + ISH (Cf. ish). Related: Donnishness … Etymology dictionary
donnish — ► ADJECTIVE ▪ resembling a college don, particularly in having a pedantic manner … English terms dictionary
donnish — [dän′ish] adj. of or like a university don donnishly adv. donnishness n … English World dictionary
donnish — [[t]dɒ̱nɪʃ[/t]] ADJ GRADED If you describe a man as donnish, you think he is rather serious and intellectual. [mainly BRIT] He is precise and mildly donnish in manner … English dictionary
donnish — adjective Date: 1848 of, relating to, or characteristic of a university don • donnishly adverb • donnishness noun … New Collegiate Dictionary
donnish — donnishly, adv. donnishness, n. donnism, n. /don ish/, adj. resembling or characteristic of a university don; bookish; pedantic. [1825 35; DON1 + ISH1] * * * … Universalium
donnish — Synonyms and related words: academic, bibliophagic, bluestocking, book fed, book learned, book loving, book minded, book read, book wise, bookish, booky, devoted to studies, diligent, dryasdust, inkhorn, literary, mandarin, owlish, pedagogic,… … Moby Thesaurus
donnish — (Roget s Thesaurus II) adjective Characterized by a narrow concern for book learning and formal rules, without knowledge or experience of practical matters: academic, bookish, formalistic, inkhorn, literary, pedantic, pedantical, scholastic. See… … English dictionary for students
donnish — don|nish [ˈdɔnıʃ US ˈda:nıʃ] adj BrE clever, serious, and more interested in ideas than real life … Dictionary of contemporary English
