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The Collaborative International Dictionary
hoyden

Hoiden \Hoi"den\, n. [OE. hoydon a lout, rustic, OD. heyden a heathen, gypsy, vagabond, D. heiden, fr. OD. heyde heath, D. heide. See Heathen, Heath.] [Written also hoyden.]

  1. A rude, clownish youth. [Obs.]
    --Milton.

  2. A rude, bold girl; a romp.
    --H. Kingsley.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
hoyden

1590s, of unknown origin; perhaps from Dutch heiden "rustic, uncivilized man," from Middle Dutch heiden "heathen" (see heathen). Originally in English "rude, boorish fellow;" sense of "ill-bred, boisterous female" first recorded 1670s.

Wiktionary
hoyden

a. Like a hoyden: high-spirited and boisterous; saucy, tomboyish. n. (context archaic English) A rude, uncultured or rowdy girl or woman.

WordNet
hoyden

adj. used of boisterous girls [syn: hoyden(a), hoydenish, tomboyish]

hoyden

n. a girl who behaves in a boyish manner [syn: tomboy, romp]

Usage examples of "hoyden".

Dashing around like a hoyden, instead of behaving like a proper woman.

Now I shall be labelled a hoyden and, if it had not been for Jack Chiltern, it would be much worse.

Northern Nursery sends out its hordes, and gawky hoydens and hobbletehoys are getting themselves accomplished in the foreign languages, music, drawing, geography, the use of the globes, and the dumb-bells.

Only lowbred hoydens would ride astride even though one has better control of the horse that way.

From the girlish, untidy hoyden, Cressida now stood revealed as an elegant court lady.

Out of the corner of her eye, she realized that Delilah was still standing, looking down in contempt at the hoyden who could get down on her knees in the grass and kindle a fire as well as any boy.