prude


Also found in: Thesaurus, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.

prude

 (pro͞od)
n.
A person who is excessively concerned with propriety or modesty, especially in sexual matters.

[French, back-formation (influenced by prudent, prudent) from prud'homme, preudhomme, man of merit, virtuous man (from Old French prozdome, preud'ome : proz, preu, valiant, virtuous from Vulgar Latin *prōdis, from Latin prōde, advantageous; see proud + de, of + home, man) or obsolete French preudefemme, woman of merit, virtuous woman (from Old French prodefemme, formed from femme, woman, on the model of prozdome, preud'ome, man of merit).]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

prude

(pruːd)
n
a person who affects or shows an excessively modest, prim, or proper attitude, esp regarding sex
[C18: from French, from prudefemme, from Old French prode femme respectable woman; see proud]
ˈprudish adj
ˈprudishly adv
ˈprudishness, ˈprudery n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

prude

(prud)

n.
a person who is excessively proper or modest and is or affects to be easily shocked, esp. in matters involving sex.
[1695–1705; < French prude a prude (n.), prudish (adj.), short for prudefemme, Old French prodefeme worthy or respectable woman. See proud, femme]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.prude - a person excessively concerned about propriety and decorum
disagreeable person, unpleasant person - a person who is not pleasant or agreeable
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

prude

noun prig, puritan, goody-goody (informal), old maid (informal), stuffed shirt (informal), schoolmarm (Brit. informal), Holy Joe (informal), Holy Willie (informal) I'm no prude but I've never heard such filth.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

prude

noun
A person who is too much concerned with being proper, modest, or righteous:
Informal: old maid.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations

prude

[pruːd] Ngazmoño/a m/f, mojigato/a m/f
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

prude

[ˈpruːd] nprude f
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

prude

n to be a prudeprüde sein; only prudes would object to thatnur prüde Leute würden sich daran stoßen
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

prude

[pruːd] npuritano/a, prude m/f
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
References in classic literature ?
He was no prude and could laugh as well as anyone at the witty immorality of a farce at the Palais Royal, but here was nothing but filth.
"Prude!" exclaimed the collar; and then it was taken out of the washing-tub.
Although I was no prude, I recoiled from the thought of it.
"A prude, who told you every night, as she undressed you, that it was a sin to love a priest, just as if one were a priest because one happens to be a cardinal."
"Now Charlotte, you little prude," whispered her friend, the instant he withdrew, "is he not very, very handsome?"
A prig would have said that he had lost culture, and a prude that he had become coarse.
"Well, I am no prude. There is no need to call him a wicked young man, but obviously he is thoroughly unrefined.
He took up the cudgels for that pretty prude with wonderful promptitude.
I have just been with those prudes, and when I come forth, I always find my throat full of curses, I must spit them out or strangle,
DOWN: 1 Ratchet 2 Demerara 3 Stop 4 Absentee 5 Gill 6 Prude 8 Centenarian 13 Spare rib 14 Ensuring 15 Steeple 18 Winch 20 Ripe 21 Puma.
"I'm not opposed to this because I'm a prude, I'm opposed to this because I'm a feminist.
Granted, there was a little stress when the prude called me out and sent his wife to confront me.