Archaic or dialectal term meaning quarrelsome, contentious, or prone to brawling.
From 'brig' (possibly from Scandinavian sources meaning 'to quarrel') plus the suffix '-ous' (from Latin '-osus', meaning 'full of'). An obsolete English word reflecting older conflict-oriented vocabulary.
This forgotten word captures the rougher side of old English—'brigous' people would pick fights, which shows how different generations of English speakers had specific words for different types of troublemakers!
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