The state or condition of being costive; constipation, stinginess, or emotional reserve.
From 'costive' plus the suffix '-ness' (state, condition). Follows standard English noun formation from adjectives, allowing abstract nouns to be created predictably.
The '-ness' suffix is one of English's most productive tools for creating abstract nouns—you can add it to almost any adjective, which is why older English dictionaries are bulging with '-ness' words we rarely use anymore.
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