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ention; given to angry debate; provoking dispute or contention; quarrelsome. Despotic and contentious temper. Macaulay.

Exciting contention; contentious. [Obs.] "It did bateful question frame. " Sidney.

To wrangle; to dispute contentiously; to squabble. [R.]

Contentious; quarrelsome. [Obs.] Puller.

Perverse; contentious; ugly; malicious. [Colloq.] -- Can*tan"ker*ous*ly, adv. -- Can*tan"ker*ous*ness, n. The cantankerous old maiden aunt. Theckeray.

Contentious; quarrelsome. [Obs.] Bailey.

Full of contention; contentious; quarrelsome. [Obs.] Spenser.

Full of discord; contentious. [Obs.] "His discordful dame." Spenser.

Disputatious; contentious. [Obs.] Shak.

olent character, producing warm debates or angry words; contention in words; partisan and contentious divisions; breach of friendship and union; strife; discord; quarrel. Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them. Acts xv. 2. Debates, dissension, uproars are thy joy. Dryden. A seditious person…

Disposed to discord; contentious; dissentious. [R.] Ascham. -- Dis*sen"sious*ly, adv. Chapman.

Marked by dissensions; apt to breed discord; quarrelsome; contentious; factious. -- Dis*sen"tious*ly, adv.

Vying with; rivaling; hence, contentious, envious. "Emulous Carthage." B. Jonson. Emulous missions 'mongst the gods. Shak.

as, to kindle anger or wrath; to kindle the flame of love, or love into a flame. So is a contentious man to kindle strife. Prov. xxvi. 21. Nothing remains but that I kindle the boy thither. Shak. Kindling her undazzled eyes at the full midday beam. Milton. Could swell the soul to rage, or kindle soft desire. Dryden.…

Inclined to judicial contest; given to the practice of contending in law; guarrelsome; contentious; fond of litigation. " A pettifogging attorney or a litigious client." Macaulay. Soldiers find wars, and lawyers find out still Litigious men, who guarrels move. Donne.

One who squabbles; a contentious person; a brawler.

One who squares, or quarrels; a hot-headed, contentious fellow. [Obs.] Shak.

Contentious; discordant. The ape was strifeful and ambitious. Spenser.

r by the express consent of the sheriff. -- Voluntary jurisdiction. (Eng. Eccl. Law) See Contentious jurisdiction, under Contentious. -- Voluntary waste. (Law) See Waste, n., 4.

An angry disputant; one who disputes with heat or peevishness. "Noisy and contentious wranglers." I. Watts.