fishwife

noun

fish·​wife ˈfish-ˌwīf How to pronounce fishwife (audio)
1
: a woman who sells fish
2
: a vulgar abusive woman

Examples of fishwife in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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In addition to Brecht’s typical didacticism, there is a haunting passage for a fishwife whose son died in one of Lucullus’s campaigns. Seth Colter Walls, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2020 An old fishwife sees a lobster try to escape and whacks it back in with her net. Casey Quackenbush / Hong Kong, Time, 12 July 2018 The latest environmental measure that has people grumbling is a two-year ban on fishing for omul, a smoked delicacy hawked by fishwives all around the lake. Neil MacFarquhar, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2017 A Canadian waitress who swears like a fishwife goes on holiday to Boracay. Simon Winchester, New York Times, 1 June 2016

Word History

Etymology

Middle English

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fishwife was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near fishwife

Cite this Entry

“Fishwife.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fishwife. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

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