▪ I. damme
(ˈdæmɪ)
Also 7 dammee, 7–9 dammy.
1. int. Shortened form of damn me! used as a profane imprecation.
| c 1645 Howell Lett. (1650) I. 237 My Lord Powis..said, dammy if ever he come to be King of England, I will turn rebel. 1652 Total Rout in Commw. Ballads (Percy Soc.) 132 Hee's not a gentleman that wears a sword, And fears to swear dammee at every word. 1791 Wolcott (P. Pindar) Magpie & Robin Wks. 1812 II. 476 Damme is it you? 1848 Thackeray Van. Fair lv, Tandyman wouldn't pay: no, dammy, he wouldn't pay. |
2. as n. a. The oath itself, or its utterance.
| 1775 Sheridan Rivals iii. iv, Let me begin with a damme. 1823 Byron Juan xi. xliii, And yet the British ‘Damme's’ rather Attic. |
† b. transf. A person addicted to using this oath; a profane swearer. Also † damme-boy. Obs.
| 1618 G. Mynshul Ess. Prison 45 Though he steale his band of tenne thousand Dam-mees. a 1658 Cleveland (N.), Punks and dammy-boys. 1662 Newcome Diary (Chetham Soc.) 52 The ranting dammees of y⊇ nation. 1674 Cotton Compl. Gamester in Singer Hist. Cards 335 A grand-jury of dammees. |
† 3. attrib. or adj. Obs.
| 1660 H. Adis Fannaticks Mite *iij b, That multitude of dammy and debauched Baudy-houses. |
▪ II. damme
obs. form of dam, damn.