Emily Dickinson Lexicon

DIS-TEM'PER-ED, pp. [or a.]

1. Diseased in body, or disordered in mind. We speak of a distempered body, a distempered limb, a distempered head or brain.
2. Disturbed; ruffled; as, distempered passions.
3. Deprived of temper or moderation; immoderate; as, distempered zeal. – Dryden.
4. Disordered; biased; prejudiced; perverted; as, mind distempered by interest or passion. The imagination, when completely distempered, is the most incurable of disordered faculties. – Buckminster.
5. Disaffected; made malevolent. Distempered lords. – Shak.