fishwife

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A woman who sells or works with fish; a female fishmonger.
  2. A vulgar, abusive or nagging woman with a loud, unpleasant voice.
  3. A person, especially a woman, with poor personal hygiene.
  4. The wife of a homosexual man.

Pronunciation

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-fishwife.wav

Word forms

fishwife fishwives

Etymology

From Middle English fysshewyfe; equivalent to fish + wife (“(obsolete) woman”) (see also midwife).

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