fishwife

/'fiʃwaif/

Thân thiện

A fishwife arranges fresh fish on ice at her market stall.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A woman who sells fish: Historically, this term refers to a woman whose occupation is selling fish, typically at a market.
   • A coarse, loud, or ill-tempered woman: By extension, the term is used as a pejorative to describe a woman perceived as vulgar, loud, and abusive in her speech.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Literal Occupation):
  • The fishwife at the harbor market had the freshest catch of the day.
• Noun (Pejorative):
  • He complained that his neighbor shouted like a fishwife every morning.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in historical or literary contexts to evoke a specific image of a working-class market vendor.
• Its use as an insult is now considered archaic and highly offensive, reflecting outdated stereotypes about women's behavior and social class.

Variants and Related Words

• Fishmonger (n): A person, regardless of gender, who sells fish. This is the standard, neutral term for the occupation.
  • We bought salmon from the local fishmonger.

Synonyms

• Shrew (n, pejorative): A woman perceived as nagging or bad-tempered.
• Termagant (n, pejorative, archaic): A harsh-tempered or overbearing woman.
• Virago (n, pejorative): A domineering, violent, or bad-tempered woman.

Idioms and Phrases

• To swear like a fishwife: To use profane or coarse language loudly and freely.
  • After hitting his thumb with the hammer, he swore like a fishwife.

Học thuật

Noun

1. someone who sells fish

Từ đồng nghĩa

• fishmonger