Wench
/wɛntʃ/noun
A girl or young woman; now usually an old-fashioned or offensive term for a woman.
Did you know?In Middle English, a wench could simply mean a girl or female servant, but over centuries the word was pushed downward in status until it became dismissive and insulting.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
wencel
“a child, youngster, or young person”
Middle English
ME
wenche
“a girl, young woman, or female servant”
14th–16th Century
English
wench
“a young woman; often a maidservant or lower-status woman”
Modern English
English
wench
“an archaic, dialectal, or insulting term for a woman”
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