dunce

[ duhns ]
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noun
  1. a dull-witted, stupid, or ignorant person; dolt.

Origin of dunce

1
1520–30; after John Duns Scotus, whose writings were attacked by the humanists as foolish

Other words for dunce

Other words from dunce

  • dun·ci·cal, duncish, adjective
  • dunc·ish·ly, adverb

Words Nearby dunce

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How to use dunce in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for dunce

dunce

/ (dʌns) /


noun
  1. a person who is stupid or slow to learn

Origin of dunce

1
C16: from Dunses or Dunsmen, term of ridicule applied to the followers of John Duns Scotus, especially by 16th-century humanists

Derived forms of dunce

  • duncelike, adjective

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