English Explanatory Dictionary

prig

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A deliberately superior person; a person who demonstrates an exaggerated conformity or propriety, especially in an irritatingly arrogant or smug manner.
  2. A conceited dandy; a fop.
  3. A tinker.
  4. A petty thief or pickpocket.
verb
  1. To filch or steal.
  2. To ride.
  3. To copulate.

Pronunciation

/pɹɪɡ/ En-au-prig.ogg

Word forms

prig prigs prigging prigged

Etymology

UK 16th century. Of unknown origin. Earlier noun senses ("tinker" and "thief"), as hyponyms of "undesirable person", may have informed later senses ("conceited person").

Synonyms

goody-goody prude puritan barbermonger beau blade blood buck carpet knight cockscomb dandy dike dood dude dudelet exquisite fashionable fast man fine gentleman fop foretop fribble gallant go jack-a-dandy Jemmy-Jessamy jetter macaroni masher metrosexual mignon petit maître popinjay pretty boy prig puss-gentleman smart spark spiff swell tippy toff abstractor appropriator bagger booster borrower cribber faker filcher flogger heister larcener larcenist liberator lifter misappropriator nicker pincher purloiner

Related words

prigger prigman

Derived words

parish prig prig and buz prigdom priggery priggess priggish priggishly priggism prighood prig napper prig-star work on the prig
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.
Back to search All on P Russian dictionary Dahl dictionary