Sadness, dejection, esp. of a pensive nature; gloominess; pensiveness or introspection; an inclination or tendency to this. Also: †perturbation (obs…

Depression of spirits, melancholy. Occasionally in plural. Obsolete.

The condition of being melancholy; a tendency towards melancholy.

= melancholy, n.1 Cf. allicholly, adj.

Medicine. The humour black bile (see bile, n. 3); an unnatural, disease-causing humour derived from or resembling this; now historical and rare…

With the. Excessive dejection or depression of spirits; gloominess and irritability; moroseness; melancholia. Now archaic.

= atrabiliousness, n.

figurative. Melancholy, depression. Cf. to have the (also a) black dog on one's back (also shoulder) at phrases.

The quality of being atrabilious.