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Word of the Day – Bawd

By September 8, 2025Word of the Day

Bawd (noun)

bawd

(Archaic) a woman who maintains a brothel; madam.

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English bawde, noun use of Middle French baude, feminine of baud “jolly, dissolute,” from West Germanic; compare Old English bald bold. Also gives us bawdy.

Example sentences

“In the 1800s the port was a notorious hangout for Caribbean pirates and their bawds.”

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