flirt-gill en · NOUN
Etymology
From flirt (“one who teases affection”) + gill (“prostitute, harlot”).
Meanings
-
(obsolete) A flirtatious, promiscuous, or loose woman.
Scurvy / knave! I am none of his flirt-gills. I am none of his / skains-mates.
c. 1591–1595, William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, act 2, scene 4:You heard him take me up like a flirt-gill, and sing bawdy songs upon me;
1607, Francis Beaumont, John Fletcher, The Knight of the Burning Pestle, act 4, scene 1:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| flirt-gills | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| flirt-gillian | alternative | lexicographic |