deflower

  • 1deflower — late 14c., deprive (a maiden) of her virginity, also excerpt the best parts of (a book), from O.Fr. desflorer (13c., Mod.Fr. déflorer) to deflower (a garden); to take the virginity of, from L.L. deflorare, from de (see DE (Cf. de )) + flos flower …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 2deflower — de*flow er, v. t. [Previously also spelled {deflour}.] [imp. & p. p. {Deflowered}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Deflowering}.] [F. d[ e]florer, LL. deflorare; L. de + flos, floris, flower. See {Flower}, and cf. {Deflorate}.] 1. To deprive of flowers. [1913… …

    The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • 3deflower — index dishonor (deprive of honor) Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …

    Law dictionary

  • 4deflower — [v] ravish; take away beauty assault, defile, deflorate, depredate, desecrate, despoil, devour, force, harm, have, mar, molest, outrage, possess, ravage, ravish, ruin, seduce, spoil, violate; concept 375 …

    New thesaurus

  • 5deflower — ► VERB dated or literary ▪ deprive (a woman) of her virginity …

    English terms dictionary

  • 6deflower — [dē flou′ər] vt. [ME deflouren < OFr desflorer < L deflorare < de , from + flos (gen. floris), FLOWER] 1. to make (a woman) no longer a virgin 2. to ravage or spoil 3. to remove flowers from (a plant) …

    English World dictionary

  • 7deflower — UK [diːˈflaʊə(r)] / US [dɪˈflaʊr] verb [transitive] Word forms deflower : present tense I/you/we/they deflower he/she/it deflowers present participle deflowering past tense deflowered past participle deflowered literary to have sex with a woman… …

    English dictionary

  • 8deflower —    to copulate with (a female virgin)    OED gives a 14th century quotation from Wyclif in this sense and Shakespeare speaks of A deflower d maid (Measure for Measure).    The imagery of plucking a bloom can refer to the loss of the maidenhead… …

    How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms

  • 9deflower — transitive verb Etymology: Middle English deflouren, from Middle French or Late Latin; Old French desflorer, from Late Latin deflorare, from Latin de + flor , flos flower more at blow Date: 14th century 1. to deprive of virginity 2. to take away… …

    New Collegiate Dictionary

  • 10deflower — deflowerer, n. /di flow euhr/, v.t. 1. to deprive (a woman) of virginity. 2. to despoil of beauty, freshness, sanctity, etc. 3. to deprive or strip of flowers: The deer had deflowered an entire section of the garden. [1350 1400; ME deflouren < OF …

    Universalium