mesquin

French

Etymology

From Italian meschino or Spanish mezquino, both from Arabic مِسْكِين (miskīn).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɛs.kɛ̃/

Adjective

mesquin (feminine mesquine, masculine plural mesquins, feminine plural mesquines)

1. unimportant
2. small-minded, petty
3. poor, of poor quality
4. stingy, tight-fisted

Derived terms

• mesquinerie

Further reading

• “mesquin”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.