Slut
/slʌt/noun
A derogatory term for a woman perceived as sexually promiscuous or, formerly, untidy and dirty.
Did you know?In medieval and early modern English, slut could describe an untidy woman or a kitchen servant; its sexual meaning developed later and became dominant by the modern period.
Etymological Timeline
Late Middle English, c. 1400
English
slutte
“An untidy or dirty woman; a slattern”
15th–16th Century
English
slut
“A woman regarded as negligent, dirty, or morally disreputable”
16th–17th Century
English
slut
“A sexually promiscuous or unchaste woman; an increasingly common insult”
17th Century
English
slut
“Also used for a female domestic servant, especially in contexts emphasizing poor cleanliness”
Modern English
English
slut
“A derogatory sexual label, sometimes reclaimed in feminist and sex-positive usage”