Superbious Meaning, Superbious Definition, Superbious Obsolete Word from 18th Century

It is somewhat amusing. But they happen in the net. So at this moment, a lot of people are searching for the meaning of ‘superbious.’

Century dictionary has an entry and it says superbious means ‘proud; haughty.’

Urban dictionary gives a somewhat different account-

“adjective, meaning great, amazing, super!” it says and lists one example of the use, too, as in “Superbious!

But OED supports the century version. It states that the word means “proud, overbearing, insolent,” having its root in superb. The word makes its way into a few literary pieces of Elizabethan period and afterwards. But the last recorded use seems to be in 18th Century.

William Shakespeare uses the word once in Tragedy of Locrine, the eldest Son of King Brutus, in the following passage-

Nor wreak I of thy threats, thou princox boy, Nor doe I fear thy foolish insolency, And but thou better use thy bragging blade, Then thou does rule thy overflowing tongue, Superbious Britain, thou shalt know too soon The force of Humber and his Scythians.