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American Dictionary of the English Language

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Pensive


PEN'SIVE, adjective [Latin penso, to weigh, to consider; pendo, to weigh.]

1. Literally, thoughtful; employed in serious study or reflection; but it often implies some degree of sorrow, anxiety, depression or gloom of mind; thoughtful and sad, or sorrowful.

Anxious cares the pensive nymph oppress'd.

2. Expressing thoughtfulness with sadness; as pensive numbers; pensive strains.