hussy en · NOUN
Pronunciation
Etymology
From earlier hussive, hussif, the regular evolution of Middle English houswyf (“housewife”), equivalent to house + wife. Modern housewife is a restoration of the compound (and thus is a doublet), after its component parts had become unrecognisable through regular phonetic change, as well as gradual negative senses and historical factors. The traditional pronunciation of the word is /ˈhʌzi/; the pronunciation with /s/ is a spelling pronunciation.
Meanings
-
(derogatory, informal) A sexually immoral woman.
She called him ‘pig’ in bastard Arabic, and he called her ‘hussy’ in good English, but these amenities were forgotten in the face of the catastrophe that had overwhelmed her at the hands of her Queen.
1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC:
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(derogatory, informal) A cheeky or disrespectful girl; a woman showing inappropriate or improper behavior.
But the girl didn’t like to, till her stepmother said: “Lift it up this instant, you hussy! Girls must keep their promises!”
1890, Joseph Jacobs, “The Well of the World’s End”, in English Fairy Tales, page 217:Molly the dairymaid came a little way from the rickyard, and said she would pluck the pigeon that very night after work. She was always ready to do anything for us boys; and we could never quite make out why they scolded her so for an idle hussy indoors. It seemed so unjust. Looking back, I recollect she had very beautiful brown eyes.
1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter 1, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC:
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(obsolete) A housewife or housekeeper.
WIRTHIN. Well, I should think so! They just dote on that hussy—can't seem to get enough of her. Gretchen tells me so herself. And the care she takes of them!
1892, Mark Twain, Meisterschaft: In Three Acts, act III, scene I, page 199:
- (obsolete) A case or bag for needles, thread, etc.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| hussies | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| huzzy | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic |
Deriveds
hussyness · hussydom · henhussy · hussy up
Relateds
Synonyms
Translations (38)
fi letukka (a cheeky or disrespectful girl; a woman showing inappropriate or improper behaviour) · de Schlampe (a sexually immoral woman) · ota قالتاق (a sexually immoral woman) · ru потаску́ха (a sexually immoral woman) · ru шлю́ха (a sexually immoral woman) · fr pimbêche (a cheeky or disrespectful girl; a woman showing inappropriate or improper behaviour) · tr sürtük (a sexually immoral woman) · de Flittchen (a sexually immoral woman) · bg наха́лница (a cheeky or disrespectful girl; a woman showing inappropriate or improper behaviour) · ota فندقجی (a cheeky or disrespectful girl; a woman showing inappropriate or improper behaviour) · mk бесра́мница (a sexually immoral woman) · fr traînée (a sexually immoral woman) · tr kaltak (a sexually immoral woman) · mk блу́дница (a sexually immoral woman) · fi letukka (a sexually immoral woman) · mk бесра́мничка (a cheeky or disrespectful girl; a woman showing inappropriate or improper behaviour) · kmr qehpik (a cheeky or disrespectful girl; a woman showing inappropriate or improper behaviour) · ru блядь (a sexually immoral woman) · ru бессты́дница (a cheeky or disrespectful girl; a woman showing inappropriate or improper behaviour) · ru иго́льник ((obsolete) a case or bag for needles, thread, etc) · fr pécore (a cheeky or disrespectful girl; a woman showing inappropriate or improper behaviour) · bg у́личница (a sexually immoral woman) · tr orospu (a sexually immoral woman) · ru ха́мка (a cheeky or disrespectful girl; a woman showing inappropriate or improper behaviour) · pl ulicznica (a sexually immoral woman) · ru потаску́шка (a sexually immoral woman) · ota مال (a sexually immoral woman) · ru грубия́нка (a cheeky or disrespectful girl; a woman showing inappropriate or improper behaviour) · de Luder (a sexually immoral woman) · ru наха́лка (a cheeky or disrespectful girl; a woman showing inappropriate or improper behaviour) · tr kokot (a sexually immoral woman) · de Luder (a cheeky or disrespectful girl; a woman showing inappropriate or improper behaviour) · ru де́рзкая девчо́нка (a cheeky or disrespectful girl; a woman showing inappropriate or improper behaviour) · tr yollu (a sexually immoral woman) · az civi (a sexually immoral woman) · tr aşüfte (a sexually immoral woman) · mk ули́чарка (a sexually immoral woman) · ga toice (a cheeky or disrespectful girl; a woman showing inappropriate or improper behaviour)