quean
[ kween ]
/ kwin /
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noun
an overly forward, impudent woman; shrew; hussy.
a prostitute.
British Dialect. a girl or young woman, especially a robust one.
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Origin of quean
before 1000; Middle English quene,Old English cwene; cognate with Middle Dutch quene, kone,Old Saxon, Old High German quena,Gothic qino<Germanic *kwenōn-; akin to Old English cwēn woman, queen
OTHER WORDS FROM quean
queanish, adjectivequeanlike, adjectiveWords nearby quean
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for quean
British Dictionary definitions for quean
quean
/ (kwiːn) /
noun
archaic
- a boisterous, impudent, or disreputable woman
- a prostitute; whore
Scot a young unmarried woman or girl
Word Origin for quean
Old English cwene; related to Old Saxon, Old High German quena, Gothic qino, Old Norse kona, Greek gunē woman. Compare queen
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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