churl

[ churl ]
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noun
  1. a rude, boorish, or surly person.

  2. a peasant; rustic.

  1. a stingy person; miser; skinflint: He was a churl in his affections.

  2. English History. a freeman of the lowest rank.

Origin of churl

1
First recorded before 900; Middle English cherl, Old English ceorl “male human being, man, freeman (of the lowest class)”; cognate with Dutch kerel, German Kerl “guy, fellow, chap”; akin to carl

Words Nearby churl

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How to use churl in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for churl

churl

/ (tʃɜːl) /


noun
  1. a surly ill-bred person

  2. archaic a farm labourer

  1. a variant spelling of ceorl

Origin of churl

1
Old English ceorl; related to Old Norse karl, Middle Low German kerle, Greek gerōn old man

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