Dictionary

sloven en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈslʌvən/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English sloveyn, from Middle Flemish sloovin (“a scold”). Related to Middle Dutch sloef (“untidy, shabby”), from Proto-Germanic *slup- + Old French -ain, from Latin -ānus.

Meanings

1. A habitually dirty or untidy man or boy; the male equivalent of slattern, or slut.
2. A low, base, lewd person.
   • The follest slouen ondyr heuen, / Prowde, peuiche, lyddyr, and lewde, / Malapert, medyllar, nothyng well thewde, […] a. 1530 (date written), John Skelton, “Poems against Garnesche. Skelton Laureate Defendar ageinst Lusty Garnyshe Well Beseen Crystofer Chalangar, et cetera.”, in Alexander Dyce, editor, The Poetical Works of John Skelton: […], volume I, London: Thomas Rodd, […], published 1843, →OCLC, page 130, lines 145–147:
3. (obsolete) An immoral woman.

Forms

Deriveds

slovenliness · slovenry · slovenness · slovenlike · slovenly

Synonyms

scruff · cutterman (man or boy habitually negligent of neatness and order) · slob

Translations (14)

bg повлекан (man or boy habitually negligent of neatness and order) · ru неря́ха (man or boy habitually negligent of neatness and order) · cs špindíra (man or boy habitually negligent of neatness and order) · pl abnegat (man or boy habitually negligent of neatness and order) · ru растрёпа (man or boy habitually negligent of neatness and order) · sv slusk (man or boy habitually negligent of neatness and order) · ru грязну́ля (man or boy habitually negligent of neatness and order) · ru замара́шка (man or boy habitually negligent of neatness and order) · fi hampuusi (man or boy habitually negligent of neatness and order) · sv hafser (man or boy habitually negligent of neatness and order) · sv lortgris (man or boy habitually negligent of neatness and order) · pl abnegat (man or boy habitually negligent of neatness and order) · sv slarver (man or boy habitually negligent of neatness and order) · fi hamppari (man or boy habitually negligent of neatness and order)