blowze
(blaʊz)
Also 6 blowesse, 6–7 blowse, 7 blouze, 8 blowz, 6– blouse.
[Of unknown origin: cf. various Du. and LG. words with the sense of ‘red’ or ‘flushed’ under blush; but some of the uses appear to be influenced by blow v.1 Perhaps originally a cant term. Cf. blowen.]
† 1. A beggar's trull, a beggar wench; a wench.
| 1573 Tusser Husb. (1878) 43 Whiles Gillet, his blouse, is a milking thy cow, Sir Hew is a rigging thy gate or the plow. 1621 Burton Anat. Mel. iii. iii. iv. ii. (1651) 628, I had rather marry a fair one, and put it to the hazard, than be troubled with a blowze. 1631 R. Brathwait Whimzies 144 His bonny blouze or dainty doxie, being commonly a collapsed tinker's wife or some highway commoditie taken up upon trust. 1639 Ford Lady's Trial iii. i. 266 Wench is your trull, your blowze, your dowdie. 1648 Herrick Hesper. (1869) 278 Yet he'll be thought or seen, So good as George-a-Green; And calls his blowze, his queene. 1709 Rambl. Fuddle-Cups 8. 1719 D'Urfey Pills (1872) I. 5 That keeps a blowz And beats his spouse. |
2. ‘A fat, red-faced, bloted wench, or one whose head is dressed like a slattern.’ Bailey 1731; ‘a ruddy fat-faced wench.’ J.
b. Hence
blowze-like adj.| 1588 Shakes. Tit. A. iv. ii. 72 Sweet blowse, you are a beautious blossome sure. 1600 Heywood 1 Edw. IV, Wks. 1874 I. 60 My Besse is fair, And Shores wife but a blowze, compared to her. 1628 Wither Brit. Rememb. vi. 644 Their flaring curles about their shag shorne browes Doe, of the fairest Lady, make a blouse. 1632 Heywood Iron Age ii. i. i. Wks. III. 364 As fayre a blowse As you, sweete Lady. |
| 1647 Let. in Harrington Nugæ Ant. 126 The woman, bravest prized, now blouze-like woud appear. |