Dudgen

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A feeling of deep resentment or offended anger ; the handle of a dagger carved from the hard wood of the box tree
2. Bitter indignation or wounded pride ; a knife or dagger hilt made from boxwood timber
3. Sullen resentment taken at some slight ; a grip or haft of dagger formed from the dense wood of the boxwood shrub

Etymology: "Dudgen" is a rare variant of "dudgeon," the word for a fit of resentment or ill humour. Its origin is unrecorded, so the most that can be said is how it relates to its better-known companion: it sits alongside "dudgeon" as a close variant spelling, and the two are used for the same sense of lasting, sullen grievance. The one useful thing to know is that "dudgeon" itself has a murky past. Its history is uncertain, and the Oxford tradition treats the two forms as variants of one word rather than as separate creations. Readers who want to explore the older record will find the variant mainly in the same literary contexts as "dudgeon," where it describes a brooding resentment that lingers long after the original offence.