Hussy
/ˈhʌsi/noun
A woman or girl regarded as brazen, immodest, or sexually forward; also used as a mild insult.
Did you know?Hussy began as a reduced form of "housewife"/"housewife's"-type usage in Middle English, showing how a term for a respectable woman could be twisted into a social slur.
Etymological Timeline
Middle English
English
houswyf / hussy
“A housewife; a woman in charge of a household”
16th Century
English
hussy
“A woman, especially one of low or mean social status; later, an immodest or brazen woman”
17th Century
English
huzzy / hussy
“A contemptuous term for a woman or girl”
Modern English
English
hussy
“A brazen, immodest, or shameless woman”