A dishonest or disreputable person; a scoundrel or rogue who cheats or swindles others.
From Middle English and Dutch 'blaggher,' possibly related to 'blague' (trick). The term evolved in English during the 16th century to describe professional criminals and con artists.
This word was a favorite insult during Shakespeare's time, though 'blackguard' became the more common spelling. The shift from 'blaggard' to 'blackguard' shows how English spelling wasn't standardized—people just wrote phonetically and guessed!
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