subs. (once literary: now vulgar).—1.  A showily-dressed vulgarian. [A contraction of ‘gentleman.’]

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  1635.  [GLAPTHORNE], The Lady Mother, in Bullen’s Old Plays, ii., 114. Hees not a GENT that cannot parlee. I must invent some new and polite phrases.

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  1785.  BURNS, Epistle to J. Lapraik, st. 11.

          Do ye envy the city GENT,
Behint a kist to lie and sklent?

3

  1843.  THACKERAY, The Irish Sketch-Book, ch. viii. The crowd of swaggering GENTS (I don’t know the corresponding phrase in the Anglo-Irish vocabulary to express a shabby dandy), awaiting the Cork mail.

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  1844.  B. DISRAELI, Coningsby, IV. ii. ‘Ah, not in business! Hem! Professional?’ ‘No,’ said Coningsby, ‘I am nothing.’ ‘Ah! an independent GENT; hem! and a very pleasant thing, too.’

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  1846.  Sunday Paper, 24 May. Mr. Rawlinson (Magistrate at Marylebone Police Court). What do you mean by GENT? There is no such word in our language. I hold a man who is called a GENT to be the greatest blackguard there is.

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  1848.  Punch, vol. XIV., p. 226. His aversion for a GENT is softened by pity.

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  1869.  Blue Budget. The GENT indicates a being who apes the gentility without the faintest shadow of a claim to it.

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  2.  (old cant).—Money. [From Fr., argent.] For synonyms, see ACTUAL and GILT.

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  1864.  E. D. FORGUES, in Revue des deux Mondes, 15 Sept., p. 470. Les voleurs anglais disent GENT pour ‘argent.’

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  3.  (colloquial).—A sweetheart, a mistress: e.g., My GENT = my particular friend.

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  Adj. (old literary).—Elegant; comely; genteel.

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  1383.  CHAUCER, The Canterbury Tales. ‘Miller’s Tale.’ [SKEAT, 1878, i., 194]. As any wesil her body GENT and small.

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  1590.  SPENSER, The Fairie Queene, I, ix. 27. He loved as was his lot, a lady gent. Ibid., II, i. 30. A knight had wrought against a lady gent.

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  1704.  S. K. KNIGHT, The Journal of Madam Knight, p. 44. Law, you, sais shee, its right GENT, do you, take it, tis dreadfull pretty.

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