ribaldry

[ rib-uh l-dree; spelling pronunciation rahy-buh l-dree ]

/ ˈrɪb əl dri; spelling pronunciation ˈraɪ bəl dri /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR ribaldry ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

ribald character, as of language; scurrility.

ribald speech.

Nearby words

Origin of ribaldry

1300–50; Middle English ribaudrie < Old French. See ribald, -ry

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ribaldry

The petitions of the pious were matched by the ribaldry of the profligate.
Historic Tales, Vol. 1 (of 15)|Charles Morris
He was a chaste and pure writer, avoiding the ribaldry and obscenity of the age.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
These were silent or even made some efforts to restrain the ribaldry of their men.
The Lion's Brood|Duffield Osborne
They know the paper before them to be a hoax, but do they believe in the ribaldry, the calumny, the less on that account?
Winterslow|William Hazlitt

If he did riot presume to rebuke the ribaldry of his master, neither would he condescend to smile at it.
The Historical Nights Entertainment, Second Series|Rafael Sabatini

British Dictionary definitions for ribaldry

ribaldry

/ (ˈrɪbəldrɪ) /

noun

ribald language or behaviour

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for ribaldry

ribaldry

early 14c., from Old French ribauderie "debauchery, licentiousness," from ribalt (see ribald).

ribaldry

noun

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of ribaldry

Examples from the Web for ribaldry

ribaldry

noun

ribaldry