Hypertext Webster Gateway: "termagant"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Termagant \Ter"ma*gant\, a.
Tumultuous; turbulent; boisterous; furious; quarrelsome;
scolding. -- {Ter"ma*gant*ly}, adv.
A termagant, imperious, prodigal, profligate wench.
--Arbuthnot.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Termagant \Ter"ma*gant\, n. [OE. Trivigant, Termagant, Termagant
(in sense 1), OF. Tervagan; cf. It. Trivigante.]
1. An imaginary being supposed by the Christians to be a
Mohammedan deity or false god. He is represented in the
ancient moralities, farces, and puppet shows as extremely
vociferous and tumultous. [Obs.] --Chaucer. ``And
oftentimes by Termagant and Mahound [Mahomet] swore.''
--Spenser.
The lesser part on Christ believed well, On
Termagant the more, and on Mahound. --Fairfax.
2. A boisterous, brawling, turbulent person; -- formerly
applied to both sexes, now only to women.
This terrible termagant, this Nero, this Pharaoh.
--Bale (1543).
The slave of an imperious and reckless termagant.
--Macaulay.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
termagant
n : a scolding nagging bad-tempered woman [syn: {shrew}]
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