Malkin/Mawkin (noun) (British dialect)
maw-kin
An untidy woman; slattern. / A scarecrow or ragged puppet / a mop made of rags.
1200–50; Middle English: literally, little Molly, equivalent to Mal.
Example sentences
“Just leave the malkin to dry once you’ve cleaned the oven!”
Author Juno Dawson, and author and BookToker Andy Darcy Theo are joining the judging panel for 2026’s YA Book Prize. Celebrating the best YA fiction in the UK & Ireland…







