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

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

They hadna been a week from her, A week but barely ane, When word came to the carline wife That her three sons were gane.

From Ballads of Mystery and Miracle and Fyttes of Mirth Popular Ballads of the Olden Times - Second Series by Sidgwick, Frank

And this shall come of it, that now every day I shall come down to the tryst, for the carline will hinder me in no way.

From The Sundering Flood by Morris, May

"Whatever we do, that girl of yours will be an auld carline before you reach Earth."

From The Burning Bridge by Dongen, H. R. van