demirep

English

Etymology

From demi- +‎ reputation.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdɛmiːɹɛp/

Noun

demirep (plural demireps)

1. (colloquial, dated) A woman of doubtful reputation or suspected character; an adventuress.
   • 1749, Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, Folio Society 1973, page 569:

     he had no knowledge of that character which is vulgarly called a demirep; that is to say, a woman who intrigues with every man she likes, under the name and appearance of virtue [...] in short, whom everybody knows to be what nobody calls her.

   • 1813, Leigh Hunt, in a journal article about the prince.(Chambers, R.. "'The Book of Days': A miscellany of popular antiquities. Londres: W & R Chambers, 1832." Google Books):

     […] in short, this delightful, blissful, wise, pleasurable, honourable, virtuous, true, and immortal prince, was a violator of his word, a libertine, over head and ears in disgrace, a despiser of domestic ties, the companion of gamblers and demireps […] .

   • 1822, Thomas de Quincey, Confessions of an English Opium-Eater:

     […] the greater part of our confessions (that is, spontaneous and extra-judicial confessions) proceed from demireps, adventurers, or swindlers […] .

   • 1904, Oscar Wilde, The Ballad of Reading Gaol:

     With the mincing step of a demirep / Some sidled up the stairs […] .

   • 1932, Duff Cooper, Talleyrand, Folio Society 2010, p. 65:

     In this new world, ruled by charlatans and dominated by demireps, Talleyrand may have found much to shock his sense of decorum, but little to outrage his moral standards.

References

• “demirep”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• epiderm, impeder, per diem, remiped