pievish

pievish (comparative more pievish, superlative most pievish)

1. Obsolete spelling of peevish. [16th–17th c.]

pievish (comparative more pievish, superlative most pievish)

1. Obsolete spelling of peevish. [16th–17th c.]
   • c. 1593 (date written), [William Shakespeare], The Tragedy of King Richard the Third. […] (First Quarto), London: […] Valentine Sims [and Peter Short] for Andrew Wise, […], published 1597, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iv], signature K3, verso:

     Be the atturney of my loue to her. / Pleade vvhat I vvill be, not vvhat I haue bene, / Not by deſertes, but vvhat I vvill deſerue, / Vrge the neceſſitie and ſtate of times, / And be not pieuiſh, fond in great deſignes.

     Perhaps to be understood as “peevishly fond”. Spelled peeuiſh in the First Folio (1623), page 198, column 2.