cover-slut
See also: coverslut
English
Alternative forms
- coverslut, slut-cover
Etymology
From cover + slut (“slovenly, untidy person”).
Pronunciation
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈkʌvɚslʌt/
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈkʌvəslʌt/
Noun
cover-slut (plural cover-sluts)
- (obsolete) An apron or pinafore, worn to hide slovenliness (such as dirt, stains or tears) in the clothing beneath.
- 1678, Phillips, John, “Book V”, in Maronides, or, Virgil Travesty, page 15:
- Nor let your women there appear / With dirty ſmock-ſleeves, foul head-geare, / With Cover-ſlut from Neck to Toe, / As Maids to morning Lectures go.
- 1846, Hall, Samuel Carter; Hall, Ann Kent, “Kildare”, in Ireland: Its Scenery, Character &c., volume 2, footnote, page 272:
- The Irish cloak forms very graceful drapery; the material falls well, and folds well. It is usually large enough to envelop the whole person; and the hood is frequently drawn forward to shield the face of the wearer from sun, rain, or wind. Yet we would fain see its general use dispensed with. A female in the lower ranks of life cares but little for the other portions of her dress if she has "a good cloak;" and certainly her ordinary appearance would be more thought of, if the huge "cover-slut" were not always at hand to hide dilapidations in her other garments.
- For more examples of usage of this term, see Citations:cover-slut.
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- (obsolete, by extension, figuratively) Any surface appearance hiding something underneath.
- 1690, Wilson, John, Belphegor, act 2, scene 3; republished in The Dramatic Works of John Wilson, Edinburgh: William Paterson, 1874, page 320:
- Fie, madam, you'll ruin the sex! Husband, say ye? A mere thing—a cover-slut of custom!
- For more examples of usage of this term, see Citations:cover-slut.
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Related terms
- cover-shame
Descendants
- Krio: kabaslot (“loose-fitting dress”)
Anagrams
- slut-cover