Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A woman regarded as being disreputable, especially a prostitute.
  • noun Scots A young woman.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A woman; a female person, considered without regard to qualities or position: hence generally in a slighting use.

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

  • noun Obs. or Scot. A woman; a young or unmarried woman; a girl.
  • noun A low woman; a wench; a slut.

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English quene, from Old English cwene, woman; see gwen- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English quene ("young, robust woman"), from Old English cwene ("woman, female serf"), from Proto-Germanic *kwenōn (“woman”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʷḗn (“woman”). Cognate with Dutch kween ("a barren woman, a barren cow"), Low German quene ("barren cow, heifer"), German dialectal Kan, Chan ("woman, wife"), Swedish kvinna ("woman"), Icelandic kona ("woman"), Gothic 𐌵𐌹𐌽𐍉 (qino, "female, woman"), 𐌵𐌴𐌽𐍃 (qens, "wife"). More at queen.

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Examples

  • According to the Miriam Webster dictionary, quean (pronounced kwen) is from the Old English cwene meaning woman or queen.

    The Sable Quean (Redwall) by Brian Jacques: Book summary 2010

  • A woman with a shape and face like Lakshmibai's hadn't let it go to waste in four years 'widowhood (after being married to some prancing old quean, too), not with the stallions of her palace guard available at the crook of her little finger.

    Fiancée 2010

  • And I have seen the life of Colin Ironfist well epitomized in a smaller compass than is here employed to show this quean well spanked.

    Wheels always with us superversive 2007

  • “Did I know Kate Happer?” replied the widow; “as well as the beggar knows his dish — a canty quean was Kate, and a special cummer of my ain maybe twenty years syne.”

    The Monastery 2008

  • “And I promise you,” said the laundress, “my young master will stick nothing to call an honest woman slut and quean, if there be but a speck of soot upon his band-collar.”

    The Abbot 2008

  • I must get rid of this quean as fast as I can; and I must see her safe.

    The Fair Maid of Perth 2008

  • “You may give quarters to such cattle if you like it yourself, Harry Wynd; but the same house shall not quarter that trumpery quean and me, and of that you may assure yourself.”

    The Fair Maid of Perth 2008

  • Ye maun leave this quean — the like of her is ower light company for you.

    Redgauntlet 2008

  • He began, however, with considerable austerity of manner. — “And how now, saucy quean!” said the medical man of office; “what have you to say why I should not order you to be ducked in the loch, for lifting your hand to the man in my presence?”

    The Abbot 2008

  • “Bloodshed and murder!” exclaimed the Lady, “what does the quean mean? — if you speak not plain out, you shall have something you will scarce be thankful for.”

    The Abbot 2008

Comments

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  • "If only there were a good-humored girl among these trumpery queans... but they seem a hard-faced set entirely..."

    --Patrick O'Brian, Treason's Harbour, 78

    February 15, 2008

  • This is an interesting word. I also encountered it in The Nutmeg of Consolation, but it was used in reference to a man: "So Joe served her out with his fishgig. It came natural to him, being a quean, as they say, and carpenter's mate." According to the online dictionaries I consulted, "quean" was used in the early 20th century to refer to an effeminate homosexual, but "cot quean" was used in Shakespeare's time to refer, in addition, to any man who does "women's work--housework."

    June 29, 2009

  • There is an Australian town called Queanbeyan. I am not familiar with the origin of the name or its components.

    June 29, 2009

  • Albuquer-quean

    June 29, 2009

  • "Here's to the maiden of bashful fifteen;

    Here's to the widow of fifty;

    Here's to the flaunting, extravagant quean;

    And here's to the housewife that's thrifty.

    Let the toast pass - drink to the lass,

    I warrant she'll prove an excuse for the glass.

    Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751-1816) - The School for Scandal, III, iii, Song

    September 20, 2009

  • "...

    I'll be reveng'd you saucy Quean

    (Replys the disapointed Dean)

    I'll so describe your dressing room

    The very Irish shall not come.

    ..."

    -Lady Montague, The Reasons that Induced Dr S to Write a Poem Call'd the Lady's Dressing Room

    September 20, 2009