\Jeal"ous\, a. [OE. jalous, gelus, OF. jalous, F.
jaloux, LL. zelosus zealous, fr. zelus emulation, zeal,
jealousy, Gr. zh^los. See {Zeal}, and cf. {Zealous}.]
1. Zealous; solicitous; vigilant; anxiously watchful.
         I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts.
                                               --Kings xix.
                                               10.
         How nicely jealous is every one of us of his own
         repute!                               --Dr. H. More.
2. Apprehensive; anxious; suspiciously watchful.
         'This doing wrong creates such doubts as these,
         Renders us jealous and disturbs our peace. --Waller.
         The people are so jealous of the clergy's ambition.
                                               --Swift.
3. Exacting exclusive devotion; intolerant of rivalry.
         Thou shalt worship no other God; for the Lord, whose
         name is Jealous, is a jealous God.    --Ex. xxxiv.
                                               14.
4. Disposed to suspect rivalry in matters of interest and
   affection; apprehensive regarding the motives of possible
   rivals, or the fidelity of friends; distrustful; having
   morbid fear of rivalry in love or preference given to
   another; painfully suspicious of the faithfulness of
   husband, wife, or lover.
         If the spirit of jealousy come upon him, and he be
         jealous of his wife.                  --Num. v. 14.
         To both these sisters have I sworn my love: Each
         jealous of the other, as the stung Are of the adder.
                                               --Shak.
         It is one of the best bonds, both of chastity and
         obedience, in the wife, if she think her husband
         wise; which she will never do if she find him
         jealous.                              --Bacon.
Syn: Suspicious; anxious; envious.
Usage: {Jealous}, {Suspicious}. Suspicious is the wider term.
       We suspect a person when we distrust his honesty and
       imagine he has some bad design. We are jealous when we
       suspect him of aiming to deprive us of what we dearly
       prize. Iago began by awakening the suspicions of
       Othello, and converted them at last into jealousy.
       ``Suspicion may be excited by some kind of accusation,
       not supported by evidence sufficient for conviction,
       but sufficient to trouble the repose of confidence.''
       ``Jealousy is a painful apprehension of rivalship in
       cases that are peculiarly interesting to us.''
       --Cogan.