carline

noun

car·​line ˈkär-lən How to pronounce carline (audio)
variants or carlin
chiefly Scotland
: woman
especially : an old woman

Examples of carline in a Sentence

there's no appeasing the auld carline who lives at the far end of the loch

Word History

Etymology

northern Middle English kerling & early Scots kerling, karlyng, karlyn "old woman," borrowed from Old Norse kerling, from karl "man, commoner" + -ing, feminine noun suffix — more at churl

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of carline was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near carline

Cite this Entry

“Carline.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/carline. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

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