a.
1. Having light heels; brisk in walking or running; nimble.
1590. Shaks., Mids. N., III. ii. 415. The villaine is much lighter heel’d then I.
1647. Ward, Simp. Cobler, 29. Light-heel’d beagles that lead the chase.
1742. Blair, Grave, 24. Light-heel’d ghosts and visionary shades.
1811. Sporting Mag., XXXVIII. 99. Prizes had been distributed to the most light-heeled damsels of either county, for their speed in running.
1829. H. Hawthorn, Visit Babylon, 18. I accordingly followed the light-heeled girl.
† 2. Of a woman: Loose, unchaste. Obs.
a. 1613. Overbury, Charac., Foote-man, Wks. (1856), 14. His mother … was a light-heeled wench.
1637. Nabbes, Microcosm., II. C 2 b. My mother a light-heel’d madame that kept a vaulting-schoole at the signe of Virgo. Ibid. (1638), Bride, IV. ii. (1640), G 1 b. She is sure a light heeld wench.
1796. Mrs. M. Robinson, Angelina, II. 26. Has not Mr. Amathist espoused the venerable remains of a light-heeled Calypso?
So † Light-heels, a loose woman.
1602. J. Cooke, How to choose a Good Wife, III. ii. I’ll tell my mistress as soon as I come home that mistress light-heels comes to dinner to-morrow.
