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Terse

//tɜːs// adj

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Of speech or style: brief, concise, to the point. broadly

    "In eight terse lines has Phædrus told / (So frugal were the Bards of old) / A Tale of Goats; and clos'd with grace / Plan, Moral, all, in that ſhort space."

  2. 2
    Of manner or speech: abruptly or brusquely short; curt. broadly

    "'Laura!' The voice halting her was terse. Brusque. She turned. [...] 'Before I go,' he said, and his voice was terse, tighter than ever. 'I want to ensure you understand something.'"

  3. 3
    Burnished, polished; fine, smooth; neat, spruce. obsolete

    "By Phœbus, here's a moſt neate fine ſtreete; is't not? I proteſt to thee, I am enamord of this ſtreete now, more then of halfe the ſtreetes of Rome, againe; tis ſo polite, and terſe; [...]"

Adjective
  1. 1
    brief and to the point; effectively cut short wordnet

Etymology

From Latin tersus (“clean, cleansed, rubbed or wiped off; neat, spruce; terse”), perfect passive participle of Latin tergeō, tergō (“to clean, cleanse, rub, wipe, wipe off”).

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