01 a. Unwilling to go on; obstinate in refusing to move forward; stubborn; drawing back.
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1.
Unwilling to go on; obstinate in refusing to move forward; stubborn; drawing back.“Restive or resty, drawing back, instead of going forward, as some horses do.” — E. Philips (1658).“The people remarked with awe and wonder that the beasts which were to drag him [Abraham Holmes] to the gallows became restive, and went back.” — Macaulay.
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2.
Inactive; sluggish.[Obs.]
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3.
Impatient under coercion, chastisement, or opposition; refractory.
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4.
Uneasy; restless; averse to standing still; fidgeting about; -- applied especially to horses.