losel
English edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
From Middle English losel (also lorel), from *losen, loren, past participle of lesen (“to lose”), equivalent to lose + -le.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
losel (plural losels)
- (archaic) A worthless or despicable person, scoundrel.
- c. 1503–1512, John Skelton, Ware the Hauke; republished in John Scattergood, editor, John Skelton: The Complete English Poems, 1983, →OCLC, page 65, lines 138–140:
- Dowtles such losels
Make the churche to be
In smale auctoryte; […]
- 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto III”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
- The whiles a losell wandring by the way, / One that to bountie neuer cast his mind, / Ne thought of honour euer did assay […] .
- c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:
- And, losel, thou art worthy to be hang'd.
- 1843 April, Thomas Carlyle, “III, The One Institution”, in Past and Present, American edition, Boston, Mass.: Charles C[offin] Little and James Brown, published 1843, →OCLC, book IV (Horoscope):
- These thousand straight-standing firm-set individuals, who shoulder arms, who march, wheel, advance, retreat; and are, for your behoof, a magazine charged with fiery death, in the most perfect condition of potential activity: few months ago, till the persuasive sergeant came, what were they? Multiform ragged losels, runaway apprentices, starved weavers, thievish valets […]
- 1954, Philip Larkin, Toads:
- Lots of folk live on their wits: / Lecturers, lispers, / Losels, loblolly-men, louts— / They don't end up as paupers; […]
- 1964, Anthony Burgess, The Eve of St Venus:
- ‘Come on, you losel,’ he said to Spatchcock, ‘you privy calligrapher, you. You can carry his bottles. I’ll carry him.’
Synonyms edit
Derived terms edit
Adjective edit
losel (comparative more losel, superlative most losel)