Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1600-1700
Origin: fraction 'lack of agreement' (16-18 centuries)

fractious

 adjective
     
Related topics: Babies
frac‧tious
DHB someone who is fractious becomes angry very easily [= irritable]:
Children become fractious when they are tired.
—fractiousness noun [uncountable]
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

Dictionary pictures of the day
Do you know what each of these is called?
What is the word for picture 1? What is the word for picture 2? What is the word for picture 3? What is the word for picture 4?
Click on any of the pictures above to find out what it is called.

Explore our topic dictionary

Browse the dictionary