lewd
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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English [edit]
Etymology [edit]
From Middle English leud, leued, lewed (“unlearned, lay, lascivious”), from Old English lǣwede (“unlearned, ignorant, lay”), of obscure origin; most likely a derivative of the past participle of lǣwan (“to reveal, betray”) in the sense of "exposed as being unlearned" or "easily betrayed, clueless", from Proto-Germanic *lēwijaną (“to betray”), from Proto-Germanic *lēwą (“an opportunity, cause”), from Proto-Indo-European *lēw- (“to leave”). Cognate with Old High German gilāen, firlāen (“to betray”), Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌻𐌴𐍅𐌾𐌰𐌽 (galēwjan, “to give over, betray”), Gothic 𐌻𐌴𐍅, 𐌻𐌴𐍅𐌰 (lēw, lēwa, “an opportunity, cause”).
Pronunciation [edit]
-
- Rhymes: -uːd
Adjective [edit]
lewd (comparative lewder, superlative lewdest)
- Lascivious, sexually promiscuous, rude.
- (obsolete) Lay; not clerical.
- Sir J. Davies
- So these great clerks their little wisdom show / To mock the lewd, as learn'd in this as they.
- Sir J. Davies
- (obsolete) Uneducated.
- (obsolete) Vulgar, common; typical of the lower orders.
- Bible, Acts xvii. 5.
- But the Jews, which believed not, […] took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, […] and assaulted the house of Jason.
- Southey
- Too lewd to work, and ready for any kind of mischief.
- Bible, Acts xvii. 5.
- (obsolete) Base, vile, reprehensible.
Translations [edit]
lascivious
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