The Collaborative International Dictionary
malapertness
malapert \mal"a*pert\ (m[a^]l"[.a]*p[~e]rt), a. [OF. malapert
unskillful, ill-taught, ill-bred; mal ill + apert open,
adroit, intelligent, L. apertus, p. p. of aperire to open.
See Malice, and Aperient.]
Bold; forward; impudent; saucy; pert.
--Shak. -- n. A
malapert person.
Are you growing malapert! Will you force me to make use
of my authority ?
--Dryden.
[1913 Webster] -- Mal"a*pert`ly, adv. -- mal"a*pert`ness,
n.
Wiktionary
malapertness
n. (context obsolete English) The condition of being malapert. (15th-18th c.)
Usage examples of "malapertness".
Yet he had, for his malapertness, one of his legs broken, and he that did it wished it had been his neck.