shoneen
/ (ˈʃoːniːn) /
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noun
Irish an Irishman who imitates English ways
QUIZ
TAKE JOY IN ACING THIS QUIZ ON “PRIDE” SYNONYMS
Hold your head up high as you embark on this quiz that explores some of the synonyms and meanings of “pride.”
Question 1 of 7
What does "dignity" mean?
Word Origin for shoneen
C19: from Irish Gaelic Seoinín, diminutive of Seon John (taken as typical English name)
Words nearby shoneen
Sholokhov, Sholom, Sholom Aleichem, Shona, shone, shoneen, shongololo, shonky, shoo, shoofly, shoo-fly pie
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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How to use shoneen in a sentence
Shoneen; a gentleman in a small way: a would-be gentleman who puts on superior airs.
English As We Speak It in Ireland|P. W. JoyceSometimes you can hardly distinguish a squireen from a half-sir or from a shoneen.
English As We Speak It in Ireland|P. W. JoyceHence Shoneen means "a little gentry John," and is applied to upstarts and "big" farmers, who ape the rank of gentleman.
Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry|William Butler Yeats