Meanings
- obsoletebehaviour; demeanor
Her who had made him a pastime, bridging the winter across With a masque, a foolery petty and vain, amusing herself with his loss,— God! it had been but an insult throughout, her ’havior so sisterly free
1897, Julia Ditto Young, The Story of Saville, Part 61 more example
Tis not alone my inky cloak, good mother, / Nor customary suits of solemn black, / Nor windy suspiration of forced breath, / No, nor the fruitful river in the eye, / Nor the dejected 'havior of the visage, / Together with all forms, moods, shapes of grief, / That can denote me truly...;
1599, William Shakespeare, “Act 1, Scene 2”, in Hamlet
Origin
- Old Frenchaveir
- Middle Englishhavour
- English'havior
From Middle English havour, a corruption of Old French aveir, avoir (“a having”), of same origin as English aver (“a workhorse”). The h is due to confusion with have.
More words from Middle English, Old French
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
'havior. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/'havior
“'havior.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/'havior. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “'havior,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/'havior.
Source: 'havior on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.