deflower

verb

de·​flow·​er (ˌ)dē-ˈflau̇(-ə)r How to pronounce deflower (audio)
deflowered; deflowering; deflowers

transitive verb

1
: to deprive of virginity
2
: to take away the prime beauty of
deflowerer noun

Examples of deflower in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Women asked him to deflower their daughters. Mike Sager, Rolling Stone, 17 Sep. 2021 Two vicious step-siblings of an elite Manhattan prep school make a wager: to deflower the new headmaster’s daughter before the start of term. Jacob Siegal, BGR, 1 Apr. 2022 While da Silva’s block of the Sunset may have been deflowered, the mural lives on via social media. Tony Bravo, SFChronicle.com, 11 June 2019 By her side was Ryan Phillippe’s Sebastian Valmont, who — responding to a bet from Kathryn — sets out to deflower the new headmaster’s virginal daughter Annette (Reese Witherspoon) before the start of term. Alexia Fernandez, PEOPLE.com, 13 Feb. 2018 The quasi-autobiographical story details how her horseback riding instructor (played by Elizabeth Debicki) and running coach (Jason Ritter) allegedly conspired to deflower her. Deirdre Durkan, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Apr. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deflower.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English deflouren, from Middle French or Late Latin; Old French desflorer, from Late Latin deflorare, from Latin de- + flor-, flos flower — more at blow

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Dictionary Entries Near deflower

Cite this Entry

“Deflower.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deflower. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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