old womann.

Brit.

/ˌəʊl(d) ˈwʊmən/, U.S.

/ˌoʊl(d) ˈwʊm(ə)n/

Inflections: Plural old women.

Forms: see old adj. and woman n.

Origin: Formed within English, by compounding. Etymons: old adj., woman n.

Etymology: < old adj. + woman n. Compare old wife n., old man n.

a. A woman who is old; a woman who is past middle age.

ΘΚΠ

the world > people > person > old person > old woman > [noun]

old wifeeOE

old womanOE

trota1375

carlinec1375

cronec1386

vecke1390

monea1393

hagc1400

ribibec1405

aunt?a1425

crate14..

witchc1475

mauda1500

mackabroine1546

grandam?1550

grannam1565

old lady1575

beldam1580

lucky1629

granny1634

patriarchess1639

runta1652

harridan1699

grimalkin1798

mama1810

tante1815

wifie1823

maw1826

old dear1836

tante1845

Mother Bunch1847

douairière1869

dowager1870

veteraness1880

old trout1897

tab1909

bag1924

crow1925

ma1932

Skinny Liz1940

old bag1947

old boot1958

tannie1958

LOL1960

OE tr. Vitas Patrum in B. Assmann Angelsächsische Homilien u. Heiligenleben (1889) 199 And sum swiðe eald wifman wæs in his gesiðscipe.

c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) 12952 Hire þe ane alde wifmon; swiðe lutle beoð þine mæhten.

a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) Ruth i. 13 Beforn þat ȝee weddyn, ȝee schul ben olde wymmen [a1425 L.V. eld wymmen; L. vetulæ].

c1450 in T. Wright & R. P. Wülcker Anglo-Saxon & Old Eng. Vocab. (1884) I. 619/14 Vetulana, an old quene or an old wymman.

1567 W. Painter Palace of Pleasure II. xxv. f. 239 The good olde woman willing to folow hir mind, suffred hir alone.

1592 A. Fraunce 3rd Pt. Countesse of Pembrokes Yuychurch f. 53 And as an old woman, must needes know more then a damsell, Disdaine these Demy-gods, that rome and range by the deserts.

1638 David's Troubles Remembred v. 42 So at Bahurim lay we in a Well, Upon whose mouth a good old woman spred Ground Corn, that so we might be covered.

1678 J. Phillips Maronides vi. 116 Old woman, quo the reverend Bard, You pose one with a question hard.

1782 W. Cowper Fable 21 For ravens, though, as birds of omen, They teach both conjurers and old women To tell us what is to befall.

1838 C. Dickens Oliver Twist II. xxxvi. 296 Glancing distractedly at a couple of old women at the washtub.

1890 New Rev. Mar. 225 They were, even the most wrinkled and beaky, fat as old women rarely are.

1935 T. Wolfe Of Time & River xiii. 147 As for the old women, they sat there on their yellowed and bony haunches.

1991 G. Greer Change v. 135 The anti-social behaviour of demented old women.

b. old woman's tale n. (also †old woman's fable, †old woman's story) = old wives' tale n. at old wife n. 1b. Now rare.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > disregard for truth, falsehood > fabrication of statement or story > a false or foolish tale > [noun] > as told by old women

old woman's talea1425

old wives' talea1680

a1425 (c1395) Bible (Wycliffite, L.V.) (Royal) (1850) 1 Tim. iv. 7 Eschewe thou vncouenable fablis and elde wymmenus fablis.

1575 G. Turberville Bk. Faulconrie 260 A verie olde womans fable, or Cantorburie tale.

1709 Brit. Apollo 8–10 June People are apt to call it an Old Woman's Story.

1730 J. Ralph Fashionable Lady ii. xv Devil take your Criticisms, they are as impertinent as a Digression in an old Woman's Tale.

1812 T. Moore Poet. Wks. (ed. 11) 38 Believe not the old woman's fable, That oaths are as short as a kiss.

1841 Southern Literary Messenger 7 228/1 Fudge, Lewis! Do you believe in such old woman's stories?

1844 T. H. Bayly Songs II. 231 How you trump up an old woman's tale!

1875 Overland Monthly Sept. 241/1 Twelve months be blowed! That's an old woman's story.

1887 T. Hardy Woodlanders I. iv. 69 ‘Tis only an old woman's tale,’ said Cawtree.

2001 This is Lancashire (Nexis) 14 June I wonder if Mr Holden had ever heard of the old woman's tale of putting horse muck into your clogs to make you grow.

c. colloquial. A person's mother; a man's wife or female partner. Cf. old lady n. 2. Frequently with possessive adjective.

ΘΚΠ

society > society and the community > kinship or relationship > kinsman or relation > parent > mother > [noun]

mothereOE

dame?c1225

merea1275

childbearera1382

genitricea1500

mammy1523

dama1547

mama1555

genetrix1561

mam1570

mum?1595

old lady1599

authoressc1603

mam1608

genitress1610

old woman1668

old girl1745

mummy1768

momma1810

madre1815

maw1826

ma1829

marm1835

mater1843

mom1846

mommy1846

maternal1867

motherkins1870

muvver1871

mumsy1876

mamacita1887

mutti1905

birth mother1906

duchess1909

amma1913

momsey1914

mums1915

moms1925

mata1945

baby-mother1966

mama1982

old dear1985

baby-mama1986

society > society and the community > kinship or relationship > marriage or wedlock > married person > married woman > [noun] > wife > one's wife

peculiar1615

old woman1668

old girl1745

the Mrs1821

old lady1836

old Dutcha1889

duchess1909

ever-loving1939

her indoors1979

1668 F. Kirkman Eng. Rogue II. 12 I concluded my self much better then when I was in Ireland tyed to my old woman.

1729 T. Odell Smugglers ii. 38 Shou'd my old Woman pop off, may be Bess an' I shou'd have a mind to be one Flesh.

a1804 J. Boucher Absence in J. Hunter & J. Stevenson Boucher's Gloss. Archaic & Provinc. Words (1832) p. l/1 Could my old woman, whilst I labour'd thus, At night reward me with a smouch.

1834 W. G. Simms Guy Rivers II. viii. 97 The old woman, by whom we mean..to indicate the spouse of the wayfarer, and mother of the two youths, was busied about the fire.

1839 C. M. Kirkland New Home xv. 96 If my old woman was to stick up that fashion, I'd keep the house so blue she couldn't see to snuff the candle.

1916 ‘Taffrail’ Pincher Martin xviii. 337 'Ow's Hemmeline an' Mrs Fig—yer ole woman?

1939 Collier's 23 Sept. 20/1 My old woman used to say you inherited luck the way you did the color of your eyes.

2000 H. Davis Jungle & Damned i. 60 Caught the bastard in flagrante delictu, as we say, with my old woman.

d. A person compared disparagingly to an old woman; spec. a timid or fussy man.

ΘΚΠ

the world > people > person > man > [noun] > effeminate man

badlingeOE

milksopc1390

cockneyc1405

malkina1425

molla1425

weakling1526

tenderling1541

softling1543

niceling1549

woman-man1567

cocknel1570

effeminate1583

androgyne1587

meacock1590

mammaday1593

hermaphrodite1594

midwife1596

nimfadoro1600

night-sneaker1611

mock-mana1625

nan1670

she-man1675

petit maître1711

old woman1717

master-miss1754

Miss Molly1754

molly1785

squaw1805

mollycoddle1823

Miss Nancy1824

mollycot1826

molly mop1829

poof1833

Margery?c1855

ladyboy1857

girl1862

Mary Ann1868

sissy1879

milk1881

pretty-boy1881

nancy1888

poofter1889

Nancy Dawson1890

softie1895

puff1902

pussy1904

Lizzie1905

nance1910

quean1910

maricon1921

pie-face1922

bitch1923

Jessie1923

lily1923

tapette1923

pansy1926

nancy boy1927

nelly1931

femme1932

ponce1932

queerie1933

palone1934

queenie1935

girlie-man1940

swish1941

puss1942

wonk1945

mother1947

candy-ass1953

twink1953

cream puff1958

pronk1959

swishy1959

limp wrist1960

pansy-ass1963

weeny1963

poofteroo1966

mo1968

shim1973

twinkie1977

woofter1977

cake boy1992

hermaphrodite-

1717 C. Bullock Per-juror i. ii. 19 Faith, I thought this Justice was an Old Woman.

1722 D. Defoe Jrnl. Plague Year 24 The old Women, and the Phlegmatic Hypocondriac Part of the other Sex, who I could almost call old Women too.

1880 Academy 8 May 337 By old women of both sexes.

1918 E. Pound Pavannes & Div. 39 But surely the worst of your old-women are the male ones.

1953 E. Simon Past Masters ii. 74 Macphail is an old wooman [sic]... He thought it his duty to let me know.

1975 B. Wood Killing Gift 177 He didn't want Marvin on guard against him... ‘Give it some time, Marvin... Maybe I'm being a bit of an old woman.’

2000 T. Clancy Bear & Dragon xlii. 639 Intelligence tended to be an old woman, but many intelligence officers were like that.

e. Theatre. The role of an old woman; an actress playing the role of an old woman, esp. one who specializes in such roles. Cf. old man n. 1c.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > drama > actor > [noun] > actress > types of

tragedy queen1715

soubrette1753

jeune première1817

comedienne1834

old woman1838

tragedienne1841

ingénue1848

sob sister1912

voice actress1974

1838 A. Mathews Mem. C. Mathews I. 101 Mrs. Davenport,..the inimitable ‘Old Woman’ of Covent Garden Theatre, having succeeded Mrs. Webb in that line soon after this period.

1901 C. Morris Life on Stage vii. 40 Then came the leading lady, the first old woman (who was sometimes the heavy woman)..and the ladies of the ballet.

1957 Oxf. Compan. Theatre (ed. 2) 772/1 The Old Woman took Juliet's Nurse.

†2. = old wife n. 4. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > matter > properties of materials > temperature > heat > heating or making hot > that which or one who heats > [noun] > a device for heating or warming > devices for heating buildings, rooms, etc. > chimney > chimney-pot

pig1683

pot1785

can1805

chimney-can1805

old wife1823

old woman1829

chimney-pot1830

chimney cap1847

tallboy1884

1829 Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. Dec. 846 Auld women frae chimley-taps are cleytin' wi' a crash into every area.

1861 G. J. Whyte-Melville Market Harborough vi. 46 A chimney adorned with what is called an ‘old woman’—an ingenious contrivance to prevent it from smoking.

†3. U.S. regional. A female grizzly bear. Obsolete. rare.

ΚΠ

1886 Outing Nov. 104/2 I heard a cracklin', an..long come the old woman with a cub follerin' behind.

Compounds

† old-woman-house n. Obsolete a hospital for old women: cf. old-man-house n. at old man n. Compounds 1.

ΘΚΠ

the world > health and disease > healing > places for the sick or injured > [noun] > hospital or infirmary > hospital for the old

old-man-housea1661

old-woman-housea1661

a1661 W. Brereton Trav. (1844) 50 Here [sc. at Haarlem] are also five or six old-women-houses.

1843 Biblical Repertory Jan. 151 He abolished the old-women-houses, which had been abused, as receptacles for the idle and dissolute.

old woman's bitter n. †(a) a West Indian fiddlewood, Citharexylum fruticosum (obsolete); (b) macary bitter, Picramnia antidesma.

ΚΠ

1756 P. Browne Civil & Nat. Hist. Jamaica 264 Citharexylon, I. The Old-woman's bitter... This plant is very common in all the Savannas of Jamaica.

1864 A. H. R. Grisebach Flora Brit. W. Indian Islands 786 Old-woman's-bitter; Picramnia Antidesma.

1866 J. Lindley & T. Moore Treasury Bot. II. 809/1 Old-woman's bitter, Picramnia antidesma; also Citharexylum cinereum.

1981 E. S. Ayensu Medicinal Plants W. Indies 171 Picramnia antidesma Sw., Majoe bitters, macary or old woman's bitter... Uses: Tea for teething baby. Yaws and venereal disease.

old woman's tooth n. now historical a simple kind of wooden router plane used by cabinetmakers.

ΘΚΠ

society > occupation and work > equipment > shaping tools or equipment > plane > [noun] > for cutting grooves

plough plane1645

plough1678

router1818

fillister1819

match plane1833

old woman's tooth1846

router plane1846

trenching-plane1859

matching plane1875

guillaume1885

1846 C. Holtzapffel Turning & Mech. Manip. II. xxiii. 487 This plane..is generally called ‘the old woman's tooth’.

1944 J. Millar in R. Greenhalgh Pract. Builder x. 333/2 Other planes used by the joiner are the..router or old woman's tooth, used for cleaning out trenches to the required depth.

1997 Chattanooga (Tennessee) Times (Nexis) 27 Mar. (Column section) f5 The router wasn't always a power tool..its wooden version was known as an ‘old woman's tooth’ because of its single projecting blade.

† old-woman's tree n. Obsolete a Jamaican tree, Quiina jamaicensis (family Quiinaceae).

ΚΠ

1864 A. H. R. Grisebach Flora Brit. W. Indian Islands 786 Old-woman's-tree: Quiina jamaicensis.

1866 J. Lindley & T. Moore Treasury Bot. II. 809/2 Old-woman's tree, Quiina jamaicensis.

Derivatives

† old womanism n. Obsolete the supposed characteristics of old women; querulousness.

ΘΚΠ

the world > people > person > old person > old woman > [noun] > state of being

anility1623

beldamship1633

anileness1727

tabbyhood1797

old-wifery1827

old womanism1828

old-womanry1828

old-womanliness1877

old-ladyhood1888

old-womanishness1914

1828 Examiner 359/2 The leaven of old-womanism..is made up of a Highland prophecy.

1892 F. Parkman Oregon Trail (1994) xxvii. 495 The lagging pace of the emigrants—the folly of Romaine—and the old womanism of the Capt. combine to disgust us.

old-ˈwoman-like adj. = old-womanish adj.

ΘΚΠ

the world > people > person > old person > old woman > [adjective]

old-wivish1535

anilea1624

grannamish1673

old-woman-like1721

tabby1748

old-womanish1764

old-wifelya1799

old-womanly1826

blue rinse1955

1721 N. Amhurst Terræ-filius No. 4 (1754) 19 A great deal more of such old-woman-like stuff.

1869 Overland Monthly Jan. 73/2 It was only Concha who, old-woman-like, importuned him to be less unremitting in his search after the ornaments.

1967 J. Meredith & H. Anderson Folk Songs Austral. 112 ‘Waddurang’ means old woman or old-woman-like.

† old-womanry n. Obsolete a trait or practice supposedly reminiscent of old women.

ΘΚΠ