Search Result for "churl": 
Wordnet 3.0

NOUN (3)

1. a crude uncouth ill-bred person lacking culture or refinement;
[syn: peasant, barbarian, boor, churl, Goth, tyke, tike]

2. a selfish person who is unwilling to give or spend;
[syn: niggard, skinflint, scrooge, churl]

3. a bad-tempered person;
[syn: grouch, grump, crank, churl, crosspatch]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Churl \Churl\, a. Churlish; rough; selfish. [Obs.] --Ford. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Churl \Churl\, n. [AS. ceorl a freeman of the lowest rank, man, husband; akin to D. karel, kerel, G. kerl, Dan. & Sw. karl, Icel. karl, and to the E. proper name Charles (orig., man, male), and perh. to Skr. j[=a]ra lover. Cf. Carl, Charles's Wain.] 1. A rustic; a countryman or laborer. "A peasant or churl." --Spenser. [1913 Webster] Your rank is all reversed; let men of cloth Bow to the stalwart churls in overalls. --Emerson. [1913 Webster] 2. A rough, surly, ill-bred man; a boor. [1913 Webster] A churl's courtesy rarely comes, but either for gain or falsehood. --Sir P. Sidney. [1913 Webster] 3. A selfish miser; an illiberal person; a niggard. [1913 Webster] Like to some rich churl hoarding up his pelf. --Drayton. [1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

churl n 1: a crude uncouth ill-bred person lacking culture or refinement [syn: peasant, barbarian, boor, churl, Goth, tyke, tike] 2: a selfish person who is unwilling to give or spend [syn: niggard, skinflint, scrooge, churl] 3: a bad-tempered person [syn: grouch, grump, crank, churl, crosspatch]