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  1. cullion love

Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. n. Archaic A contemptible fellow; a rascal.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. n. A testicle.
  2. n. A round or bulbous root; an orchis; specifically, in plural form (cullions), the standerwort, Orchis mascula.
  3. n. A mean wretch; a low or despicable fellow.

Wiktionary

  1. n. Testicle.
  2. n. A vile person.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. n. A mean wretch; a base fellow; a poltroon; a scullion.

Etymologies

  1. From Middle English coillon, from Old French coillon ("testicle"; also, "a vile fellow, coward, dupe"), from Latin coleus ("a leather bag, the scrotum"). (Wiktionary)
  2. Middle English coilon, testicle, from Old French coillon, from Latin culleus, bag. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)

Examples

  • “Countess Isabelle of Croye, and a better husband to her than Campobasso, who is a base Italian cullion! —”

    Quentin Durward

  • “[2346] Their wives and loveliest daughters constuprated by every base cullion, as Sejanus 'daughter was by the hangman in public, before their fathers and husbands' faces.”

    Anatomy of Melancholy

  • “Stupid cullion — how dare you aspire to know the Beaconfolk?”

    Conqueror's Moon

  • ““The house of Ravenswood was ance a gude and an honourable house in this land,” said an old man; “but it’s lost its credit this day, and the Master has shown himself no better than a greedy cullion.””

    The Bride of Lammermoor

  • “The old man clutched the young painter's arm and said, "Do you see nothing? clodpatel Huguenot! varlet! cullion!”

    The Unknown Masterpiece 1845

  • “Master has shown himself no better than a greedy cullion. ”

    The Bride of Lammermoor

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synonyms (2)

Words with the same meaning

  1. poltroon
  1. scullion

reverse dictionary (4)

Words that contain this word in their definition

  1. standergrass
  1. coillon
  1. conjoun
  1. cullionly

tags (1)

Free-form, user-generated categorization

  1. cvccvvc

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Lists

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Comments

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  • jmjarmstrong JM has known many a cullion and it is only in retropect that he acknowledges his admiration for them being named such. Feb 1, 2010

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‘cullion’ has been looked up 7771 times, added to 11 lists, commented on 1 time, and has a Scrabble score of 9.