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malkin

noun
/ˈmɔːlkɪn/

Etymology

Matronymic surname, from a diminutive form of the medieval personal name Malle, a pet form of Mary.

Definitions

  1. A (stereotypical name for a) lower-class or uncultured woman

    A (stereotypical name for a) lower-class or uncultured woman; a kitchenmaid; a slattern.

    • Ȝe ne haue na more meryte · in masse ne in houres / Þan Malkyn of hire maydenhode · þat no man desireth. You gain no more merit from mass or your prayers / Than Malkin from her maidenhood, which no man desires.
    • We did but keep you surety for our son, / If this be he, — or a draggled mawkin, thou, / That tends her bristled grunters in the sludge[.]

  2. A mop, especially one used to clean a baker's oven.

  3. A mop or sponge attached to a jointed staff for swabbing out a cannon.

  4. ›+ 4 more definitions

    1. A scarecrow.

      • [A] straw malkin like thee, which the very crows are not afraid to perch on[.]

    2. A cat.

    3. A hare.

      • There was milk punch and spiced whisky, a smell of goose and maukin roasting on the spit.

    4. A surname transferred from the given name.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for malkin. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA