An archaic or vulgar term for a woman of loose morals or a prostitute; also spelled 'blouze.'
From 'blowze' or 'blowze' (a ruddy-faced or unkempt woman), an old English insult derived from uncertain origins, possibly dialect words. The '-ess' suffix marks it as feminine.
The word 'blowess' reveals how English used to be filled with class-specific insults for women—comparing it to 'gentleman' shows how language itself encoded social hierarchies, with derogatory terms far outnumbering respectful ones for lower-class women.
Archaic term for a ruddy-faced woman, especially of low social status. The gendered suffix '-ess' marks this as diminutive/pejorative, reflecting 17th-19th century class and gender bias in labeling women's appearance.
This term is obsolete. Modern English has no equivalent because the gendered assumption (that a woman's ruddy complexion deserves special linguistic marking or mockery) is now recognized as inappropriate.
["person with ruddy complexion","robust complexion"]
Historical languages often feminized terms to diminish or mock women. The disappearance of 'blowess' from modern usage reflects linguistic progress toward gender-neutral description.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.