A bad-tempered, cranky, or grumpy person, especially an old man who complains frequently.
Origin uncertain; possibly from French 'coeur méchant' (wicked heart) or Gaelic/Welsh sources, first appearing in English in 1520s with unclear etymology, though it's been associated with miserly or ill-tempered character.
Dictionaries actually list this word's origin as 'unknown,' which is delightfully frustrating—it's one of those English words where the word itself seems almost as mysterious and grumpy as the person it describes!
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