ROUGHNESS, noun ruf'ness. 1. Unevenness of surface, occasioned by small prominences; asperity of surface; as the roughness of a board, of a floor, or of a rock. 2. Austereness to the taste; as the roughness of sloes. 3. Taste of astringency. 4. Harshness to the ear; as the roughness of sounds. 5. Ruggedness of temper; harshness; austerity. 6. Coarseness of manners or behavior; rudeness. Severity breedeth fear; but roughness breedeth hate. 7. Want of delicacy or refinement; as military roughness 8. Severity; harshness or violence of discipline. 9. Violence of operation in medicines. 10. Unpolished or unfinished state; as the roughness of a gem or a draught. 11. Inelegance of dress or appearance. 12. Tempestuousness; boisterousness; as of winds or weather. 13. Violent agitation by wind; as the roughness of the sea in a storm. 14. Coarseness of features.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI