or queen, subs.—1.  Primarily a woman: without regard to character or position. Hence (2) = a slut, HUSSY (q.v.), or strumpet: TO PLAY THE QUEAN = to play the whore.—B. E. (c. 1696); BAILEY (1725); GROSE (1785). Whence QUEANRY = (1) womankind; (2) harlotry; and (3) the estate of whoredom.

1

  1362.  LANGLAND, Piers Plowman, ix. 46.

        At churche in þe charnel · cheorles aren vuel to knowe,
Oþer a knyght fro a knaue · oþer a QUEYNE fro a QUEENE.

2

  1383.  CHAUCER, The Canterbury Tales, ‘The Manciple’s Tale,’ Prol., 18. Or hastow with som QUENE at nyght yswonke.

3

  d. 1584?  A. SCOTT, Chron. S. P., iii. 148.

        For huredome ay onhapp is
With QUENERIE, cannis, and coppis.

4

  1591.  HARINGTON, Ariosto, xxxv. 26. Penelope was but a QUEANE.

5

  1593.  NASHE, Christ’s Teares [GROSART, Works (1883–4), iv. 224]. Every QUEANE vaunts herselfe of some or other man of Nobility.

6

  1596.  SHAKESPEARE, Merry Wives of Windsor, iv. 2. A witch, a QUEAN, an old cozening QUEAN.

7

  1598.  JONSON, Every Man in his Humour, iv. 8. Kit. A bitter QUEAN! Come, we will have you tamed. Ibid. (1601), The Poetaster, iv. 3. She’s a curst QUEAN, tell him, and plays the scold behind his back.

8

  16[?].  ROWLAND WATKYNS in Heyward’s Quint., i. 143 [NARES].

        If once the Virgin-Conscience PLAYS THE QUEAN,
We seldom after care to keep it clean.

9

  1611.  MIDDLETON, The Roaring Girle, ii. 1. There are more QUEANS in this town of their own making than of any man’s provoking.

10

  c. 1613.  FLETCHER, The Nice Valour, ii. 1 [DYCE, x. 316].

        A man can in his life-time make but one woman,
But he may make his fifty QUEANS a month.

11

  1614.  R. C., The Times’ Whistle [E.E.T.S.], 45, l. 1331.

          Flavia, because her meanes are somewhat scant,
Doth sell her body to relieve her want,
Yet scornes to be reputed as a QUEAN.

12

  1621.  BURTON, The Anatomy of Melancholy, I. II. iv. 6. A base QUEAN. Ibid., III. II. i. 2. Rahab, that harlot began to be a professed QUEAN at ten years of age. Ibid., III. II. ii. 1. They are commonly lascivious, and if women, QUEANS. Ibid., III. II. ii. 5. I perceived … by the naked QUEANS, that I was now come into a bawdy house.

13

  1634.  FORD, Perkin Warbeck, ii. 3.

                    I never was ambitious
Of using congees to my daughter-queen—
A queen! perhaps a QUEAN!

14

  1731.  COFFEY, The Devil to Pay, Sc. 2. Where are my Sluts? Ye Drabs, ye QUEANS—Lights there.

15

  1777.  SHERIDAN, The School for Scandal, iii. 3. Here’s to the flaunting extravagant QUEAN.

16

  1787.  BURNS, To the Guidwife o’ Wauchope-House.

        I see her yet, the sonsie QUEAN,
  That lighted up my jingle.
    Ibid. (1791), Tam o’ Shanter.
  Now Tam, O Tam! had thee been QUEANS
A’ plump and strapping, in their teens.
    Ibid., Merry Muses (c. 1800), ‘Wha’ll Mow Me Noo.’
An’ I maun thole the scornful sneer
  O’ mony a saucy QUINE.

17

  1822.  SCOTT, The Fortunes of Nigel, iii. I was disturbed with some of the night-walking QUEANS and swaggering billies.

18