termagant

Noun
Synonyms: shrew

WordNet 3.0

Noun (1)

  1. a scolding nagging bad-tempered womanSynonyms: shrew
Advertisement

Webster's Dictionary (GCIDE)

Termagant \Ter"ma*gant\, n. [OE. Trivigant, Termagant, Termagant (in sense 1), OF. Tervagan; cf. It. Trivigante.]

1.An imaginary being supposed by the Christians to be a Moslem deity or false god. He is represented in the ancient moralities, farces, and puppet shows as extremely vociferous and tumultous. [Obs.] --Chaucer. "And oftentimes by Termagant and Mahound [Mahomet] swore." --Spenser. [1913 Webster]

The lesser part on Christ believed well, On Termagant the more, and on Mahound.— Fairfax.[1913 Webster]

2.A boisterous, brawling, turbulent person; -- formerly applied to both sexes, now only to women. [1913 Webster]

This terrible termagant, this Nero, this Pharaoh.— Bale (1543).[1913 Webster]
The slave of an imperious and reckless termagant.— Macaulay.[1913 Webster]
Termagant \Ter"ma*gant\, a. Tumultuous; turbulent; boisterous; furious; quarrelsome; scolding. -- Ter"ma*gant*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]

A termagant, imperious, prodigal, profligate wench. --Arbuthnot. [1913 Webster]

Advertisement