choleric
UK: ˈkɒlərɪk | US: ˈkɑːlərɪk
adj. easily angered; irritable or hot-tempered
adj. (historical) related to an excess of yellow bile (one of the four humors in ancient medicine)
The word choleric traces back to the ancient Greek kholē (χολή), meaning "bile." In Hippocratic medicine, an imbalance of yellow bile (kholē) was believed to cause irritability and aggression. The suffix -ic (from Latin -icus) turns the noun into an adjective. Over time, choleric evolved from its literal medical sense to describe a fiery or quick-tempered personality, retaining the connection to the original humoral theory.
His choleric outburst startled everyone in the meeting.
The choleric old man shouted at the children for stepping on his lawn.
Medieval doctors classified patients as choleric if they showed signs of excessive anger.
She regretted her choleric response to the criticism.
The captain’s choleric demeanor made the crew nervous.