carline

American  

[kahr-lin, ker-] / ˈkɑr lɪn, ˈkɛr- /

Or carlin

noun

Chiefly Scot.

1. an old woman.

2. a hag; witch.

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carline ¹ British  

/ ˈkɑːlɪn /

noun

1. an old woman, hag, or witch

2. a variant of carling

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carline ² British  

/ ˈkɑːlɪn /

noun

1. Also called: carline thistle.  a Eurasian thistle-like plant, Carlina vulgaris, having spiny leaves and flower heads surrounded by raylike whitish bracts: family Asteraceae (composites)

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Etymology

Origin of carline

1350–1400; Middle English (north) kerling < Old Norse: old woman, equivalent to kerl (mutated variant of karl man) + -ing -ing ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

carline

January 27, 2010 2:20 pm Link Mrs. Accillien, where can I drop off my donated goods? — carline 22.

From New York Times ● Jan. 27, 2010

Mr. Swett thought that a company of actors would encourage a larger volume of traffic for the carline, and he was right.

From Time Magazine Archive

"Hush, my dear," said the carline, "hush; it is but a minute's waiting after all these years."

From The Sundering Flood by Morris, May

They hadna been a week from her, A week but barely three, When word cam' to the carline wife That her sons she'd never see.

From The Haunted Hour An Anthology by Widdemer, Margaret

Seated in my own comfortable rocking-chair, reclining in the same attitude as when so suddenly summoned forth by the gipsy carline.

From Graham's Magazine Vol XXXII No. 6 June 1848 by Conrad, Robert Taylor