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Jealous \jeal"ous\, adj. [OE. jalous, gelus, OF. jalous, F jaloux, LL. zelosus zealous, fr. zelus emulation, zeal, jealousy, Gr. zh^los. See zeal, and cf. zealous.]

  1. Showing extreme cupidity; painfully desirous of another's advantages; "he was never covetous before he met her"; "jealous of his success and covetous of his possessions"; "envious of their art collection" [syn: covetous, envious]
  2. Suspicious or unduly suspicious or fearful of being displaced by a rival; "a jealous lover" [syn: green-eyed, overjealous]
  3. Zealous; solicitous; vigilant; anxiously watchful
    I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts --Kings xix 10
    How nicely jealous is every one of us of his own repute! --Dr. H. More
  4. Apprehensive; anxious; suspiciously watchful
    This doing wrong creates such doubts as these, Renders us jealous and disturbs our peace. --Waller
    The people are so jealous of the clergy's ambition --Swift
  5. Exacting exclusive devotion; intolerant of rivalry
    Thou shalt worship no other God; for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. --Ex. xxxiv 14
  6. Disposed to suspect rivalry in matters of interest and affection; apprehensive regarding the motives of possible rivals, or the fidelity of friends; distrustful; having morbid fear of rivalry in love or preference given to another; painfully suspicious of the faithfulness of husband, wife, or lover
    If the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be jealous of his wife. --Num. v. 14
    To both these sisters have I sworn my love: Each jealous of the other, as the stung Are of the adder --Shak
    It is one of the best bonds, both of chastity and obedience, in the wife, if she think her husband wise; which she will never do if she find him jealous. --Bacon
    Jealousy is a painful apprehension of rivalship in cases that are peculiarly interesting to us. --Cogan
    [syn: suspicious; anxious; envious

Usage: jealous, suspicious. Suspicious is the wider term We suspect a person when we distrust his honesty and imagine he has some bad design. We are jealous when we suspect him of aiming to deprive us of what we dearly prize. Iago began by awakening the suspicions of Othello, and converted them at last into jealousy "Suspicion may be excited by some kind of accusation, not supported by evidence sufficient for conviction, but sufficient to trouble the repose of confidence."

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