SINCE 1828
dictionary
thesaurus

sawney

noun (1)
Save Word
saw·​ney | \ ˈsȯnē, -ni \
plural -s

Definition of sawney

 (Entry 1 of 3)

chiefly British
: fool, simpleton

sawney

adjective
variants: or less commonly sawny \ " \

Definition of sawney (Entry 2 of 3)

chiefly British
: naïvely or sentimentally foolish : silly

Sawney

noun (2)
\ " \
plural -s

Definition of Sawney (Entry 3 of 3)

disparaging
: scotsman

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

History and Etymology for sawney

Noun (1) and Adjective

probably alteration of zany

Noun (2)

alteration of Sandy

Learn More About sawney

Dictionary Entries Near sawney

sawmilling

sawney

Sawney

See More Nearby Entries 

Statistics for sawney

Cite this Entry

“Sawney.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sawney. Accessed 29 Jun. 2022.

Style: MLA
MLACheck Mark Icon ChicagoCheck Mark Icon APACheck Mark Icon Merriam-WebsterCheck Mark Icon

WORD OF THE DAY

duress

Listen to the pronunciation of duress

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

Words Named After People

  • name tags
  • Namesake of the leotard, Jules Léotard had what profession?
True or False

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Universal Daily Crossword

A daily challenge for crossword fanatics.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games