autem mort

English

Alternative forms

• autum mort, autom mort

Noun

autem mort (plural autem morts)

1. (archaic, thieves' cant) A married woman.
   • 1556, Thomas Harman, A Caveat or Warning for Common Cursitors,:

     These Autem Mortes be maried wemen, as there be but a fewe: For Autem in their Language is a church, so shee is a wyfe maried at the church, and they be as chaste as a cowe I have, that goeth to bull euery moone, with what bull she careth not.

   • 1641–42, Richard Brome, A Jovial Crew, or the Merry Beggars, act 2:

     The Autum-Mort finds better sport / In bowsing then in nigling.

   • 1834, William Harrison Ainsworth, Rookwood:

     Morts, autem morts, walking morts, dells, doxies, kinching morts, and their coes, with all the shades and grades of the Canting Crew, were assembled.

2. (idiomatic, archaic, thieves' cant) A female beggar with several children hired or borrowed to excite charity.

Synonyms

• (married woman): autem cackler

Hypernyms

• (beggar with children): beggar, see also Thesaurus:beggar

Related terms

• (married woman): autem cove (“married man”)

References

• [Francis] Grose [et al.] (1811) “Autem mort”, in Lexicon Balatronicum. A Dictionary of Buckish Slang, University Wit, and Pickpocket Eloquence. […], London: […] C. Chappell, […], →OCLC.
• [Francis Grose] (1788) “Autem mort”, in A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, 2nd edition, London: […] S. Hooper, […], →OCLC.
• Albert Barrère and Charles G[odfrey] Leland, compilers and editors (1889–1890) “autem mort”, in A Dictionary of Slang, Jargon & Cant […], volumes I (A–K), Edinburgh: […] The Ballantyne Press, →OCLC, page 54.
• John S[tephen] Farmer, compiler (1890) “autem mort”, in Slang and Its Analogues Past and Present. […], volume I, [London: […] Thomas Poulter and Sons] […], →OCLC, page 81.