Tomboy
/ˈtʌm.bɔɪ/noun
A girl or woman who behaves in a traditionally boyish or adventurous way.
Did you know?The earliest English use of tomboy in the 16th century meant a bold, noisy, boisterous girl, and the first element tomb- is probably linked to an older sense of a loud, clumsy, or swaggering fellow—not a grave.
Etymological Timeline
16th Century
English
tomboy
“A bold, immodest, or noisy girl; a rude or romping girl”
16th Century
English
tom
“A male given name used generically for a man or fellow”
Middle English
English
tom
“A common male name and later a generic term for a man”
Middle English
English
boy
“A male child or young servant”
Modern English
English
tomboy
“A girl or woman with energetic, adventurous, or boyish traits”