Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
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noun
A state of impatience, agitation, or anxiety.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: plural, plural-only
Synonyms: on pins and needles
Antonyms: none provided
History
Borrowed from Yiddish שפּילקעס (shpilkes, “needles”), ultimately from a Slavic term such as Polish szpilka, which comes from Italian spilla, from Late Latin spīnula (“little thorn”).
