beef-witted

English

Etymology

beef +‎ witted

Adjective

beef-witted (comparative more beef-witted, superlative most beef-witted)

1. (obsolete, derogatory) stupid; dull
   • c. 1602, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]:

     The plague of Greece upon thee, thou mongrel beef-witted lord!

Further reading

• “beef-witted”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.