wittol
English
Alternative forms
- wittold
Etymology
From Middle English witewold; likely a blend of witen (“to know”) + cockewold (“cuckold”), equivalent to wit + cuckold.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈwɪtəl/
Homophone: whittle
Noun
wittol (plural wittols)
- (archaic) A man who knows and tolerates his wife's infidelity with another man or men; a mari complaisant.
- 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, OCLC 54573970:
- To see […] a wittol wink at his wife's honesty, and too perspicuous in all other affairs […]
- 1885–1888, Richard F[rancis] Burton, transl. and editor, “Night 13”, in A Plain and Literal Translation of the Arabian Nights’ Entertainments, now Entituled The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night […], volume (please specify the volume), Shammar edition, [London]: […] Burton Club […], OCLC 939632161:
- So the Ifrit cried at her, "Thou whorest and makest me a wittol with thine eyes;" and struck her so that her head went flying.
- 1960, John Barth, The Sot-Weed Factor
- God help the husband that obliges his wife's least whim: he'll be a wittol ere he's two years wed!
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- (UK, dialect, obsolete) A bird, the wheatear.
Translations
man who knows and tolerates his wife’s infidelity
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See also
- cuckold
- cuckquean
- mari complaisant
- wittoldry
Anagrams
- Titlow