Crossword clues for quean
quean
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Quean \Quean\, n. [Originally, a woman, AS. cwene; akin to OS. quena, OHG. quena, Icel. kona, Goth qin?, and AS. cw['e]n, also to Gr. ? woman, wife, Skr. gn[=a] goddess. Cf. Queen.]
A woman; a young or unmarried woman; a girl. [Obs. or Scot.]
--Chaucer.A low woman; a wench; a slut. ``The dread of every scolding quean.''
--Gay.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
"young, robust woman," Old English cwene "woman," also "female serf, hussy, prostitute" (as in portcwene "public woman"), from Proto-Germanic *kwenon (cognates: Old Saxon quan, Old High German quena, Old Norse kona, Gothic qino "wife, woman"); see queen. Popular 16c.-17c. in sense "hussy." Sense of "effeminate homosexual" is recorded from 1935, especially in Australian slang.
Wiktionary
n. 1 A woman, now especially an impudent or disreputable woman; a prostitute. (from 10th c.) 2 (context Scotland English) A young woman, a girl; a daughter. (from 15th c.)
Usage examples of "quean".
But the old man and his grandsons turned their heads away from his weeping, and got off their horses, and went up to the house-door, whereby were now standing a carle and a quean of their people.
The said wardens, both carle and quean, were goodly folk of middle age, stalwart, and kind of face.
But they are all so subtle, full of art-- And age again doting and flexible, So as--I cannot tell--we may, perchance, Light on a quean may cheat us all.
Ae quean had noticed something under his arm, but she took it for the pipes.
But little merry were the husbandmen whom they met, either carles or queans, and they were scantily and foully clad, and sullen-faced, if not hunger-pinched.
But when they were gone eight days from the Valley of Sweet-chestnuts, they came across a flock of uncouth-looking sheep on a green hill-side, and four folk shepherding them, two carles to wit, and two queans, like to their way-leaders, but scarce so goodly, and ruder of raiment.
There and thenceforth they met men a many, both carles and queans, and sheep and neat in plenty, and they passed by garths wherein the young corn was waxing, and vineyards on the hillsides, where the vines were beginning to grow green.
Yet forsooth it was rather the carles than the queans who made all this lamentation.
But when they found out how matters had gone, then, as ye may deem, was the greatest joy and exultation, and carles and queans both ran to arms and bade their deliverers learn them all that belonged to war, and said that one thing should not be lacking, to wit, the gift of their bodies, that should either lie dead in the fields, or bear about henceforth the souls of free men.
Burg, and durst scarce raise a hand against the foemen, the carles were but slow to love, and the queans, for all their fairness, cold and but little kind.
Burg, partly of those women-thralls, partly of carles and queans come newly from the Wheat-wearers, partly of men of our Fellowship the more part of whom are wedded to queans of the Wheat-wearers, and partly of men, chapmen and craftsmen and others who have drifted into the town, having heard that there is no lack of wealth there, and many fair women unmated.
High House, though the Upmeads carles and queans had taken the more part of the host to their houses, which they had delivered from the fire and sword, and they made much of them there with a good heart.
Andrew would have been a great deal the better of a young soncy quean to have slept with him in such terrible weather.
He was in a crunkle o' green brae, a wee below the chaipel, a' by his lee lane, and lowped and flang and danced like a daft quean at a waddin'.
G ood Luck, she is never a lady, But the cursedest quean alive, Tricksy, wincing, and jady -Kittle to lead or drive.