light-o'-love

English

Alternative forms

• light o' love
• light-of-love

Noun

light-o'-love (plural lights-o'-love)

1. An old tune of a dance, the name of which made it a proverbial expression of levity, especially in love matters.
   • c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):

     Best sing it to the tune of light o' love.

2. (by extension) A flirtatious or wanton woman.
   • 1626 February 13 (licensing date), Francis Beaumont, John Fletcher, “The Noble Gentleman”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):

     You light-o'-love, a word or two.

   • 1866, Various, The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 17, No. 103, May, 1866, page 618:

     That is why a priest's light-o'-love is always some honest man's wife.

Synonyms

• (promiscuous woman): See also Thesaurus:promiscuous woman

References

• “light-o'-love”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “light-o'-love”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.