Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CURST, a.

Hateful; detestable; froward; tormenting: vexatious; peevish; malignant; mischievous; malicious: snarling; a word, however, which can be hardly said to have a definite signification. It is applied to any thing vexatious. In some of its applications in old authors, it appears to be the Dutch korst, crust, and to signify crusty, crabbed, surly.