thickset

adjective

thick·​set ˈthik-ˌset How to pronounce thickset (audio)
1
: closely placed
also : growing thickly
a thickset wood
2
: having a thick body : burly

Examples of thickset in a Sentence

a short, thickset bulldog
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The passenger door opened and a thickset man with a short beard and mustache got out. Jamie Quatro, Harper's Magazine, 21 June 2024 There’s a thickset dashboard dotted with prominent air vents and a thick, smooth center section that connects the door panels. Andrew Wendler, Car and Driver, 8 Aug. 2023 Julia's grandmother Zora was short and thickset and typical of the women of her generation in that her days consisted of brief breaks between cooking and cleaning—if not grocery shopping or preparing a meal, she could be found scrubbing the Khrushchyovka apartment with great fa- naticism. Ew Staff, EW.com, 4 May 2021 And, with two big interior pockets, protective metal feet, and thickset handles, your luggage can accommodate everything this lifestyle entails. Irene Richardson, Travel + Leisure, 8 Mar. 2023 The thickset prison administrator, known as Bawar to his friends, had been keenly aware that the prison was vulnerable to assault. Washington Post, 5 Feb. 2022 The hotel's two restaurants, an offshoot of the Beefbar, and Biancaneve, are awash with more banquettes upholstered in colorful cozy fabrics arranged around thickset wood tables, a nod to the hotel's Alpine location. Rooksana Hossenally, Forbes, 31 Jan. 2022 The lecturer, a short, thickset man with a ruddy face and a big voice, was coming to the end of his talk. Joseph Loconte, National Review, 31 Aug. 2019

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of thickset was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near thickset

Cite this Entry

“Thickset.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/thickset. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

thickset

adjective
thick·​set ˈthik-ˈset How to pronounce thickset (audio)
1
: closely placed or planted
2
: of short stout build : stocky

More from Merriam-Webster on thickset

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!