Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A beggar's trull; a beggar wench; a wench.
  • noun A ruddy, fat-faced wench; a blowzy woman: applied in Shakspere to an infant.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun obsolete A ruddy, fat-faced woman; a wench.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun obsolete A ruddy, fat-faced woman; a wench.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Probably from the same root as blush.

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Examples

  • This I approve; but of the other two I resolve with Salisburiensis, caeteris paribus, both rich alike, endowed alike, majori miseria deformis habetur quam formosa servatur, I had rather marry a fair one, and put it to the hazard, than be troubled with a blowze; but do as thou wilt, I speak only of myself.

    Anatomy of Melancholy 2007

  • On the other hand, this site says 'Blouse' has for 300 years or more been English slang for a very unseemly woman, from 'blowze', which was slang for a slovenly woman, prostitute or 'beggars wench' as the OED quaintly puts it.

    Pen-Elayne on the Web 2006

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