virago

(redirected from viragoes)
Also found in: Thesaurus.

vi·ra·go

(və-rä′gō, -rā′-, vîr′ə-gō′)

n. pl. vi·ra·goes or vi·ra·gos

1. A woman regarded as noisy, scolding, or domineering.

2. A large, strong, courageous woman.

[Latin virāgō, from vir, man; see wī-ro- in Indo-European roots.]

vi·rag′i·nous (və-răj′ə-nəs) adj.

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.

virago

(vɪˈrɑːɡəʊ)

n, pl -goes or -gos

1. a loud, violent, and ill-tempered woman; scold; shrew

2. archaic a strong, brave, or warlike woman; amazon

[Old English, from Latin: a manlike maiden, from vir a man]

viraginous adj

viˈrago-ˌlike adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

vi•ra•go

(vɪˈrɑ goʊ, -ˈreɪ-)

n., pl. -goes, -gos.

1. a loud-voiced, ill-tempered, scolding woman; shrew.

2. Archaic. a woman of strength or spirit.

[before 1000; Middle English, Old English < Latin virāgō=vir man + -āgō suffix expressing association of some kind, here resemblance]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Switch to new thesaurus

Noun	1.	virago - a noisy or scolding or domineering woman shrew, termagant - a scolding nagging bad-tempered woman
	2.	virago - a large strong and aggressive woman amazon adult female, woman - an adult female person (as opposed to a man); "the woman kept house while the man hunted"

virago

noun harridan, fury, shrew, vixen, scold, battle-axe (informal), termagant (rare), Xanthippe, ballbreaker (slang) Violent wives are too easily dismissed as hysterical, man-hating viragos.

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

virago

noun

A person, traditionally a woman, who persistently nags or criticizes:

fishwife, fury, harpy, scold, shrew, termagant, vixen.

Informal: battle-ax.

Translations

virago

[vɪˈrɑːgəʊ] N (viragoes or viragos (pl)) → fiera f, arpía 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

virago

n → Xanthippe f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

virago

[vɪˈrɑːgəʊ] n (frm, pej) → virago f

Mentioned in ?

References in periodicals archive ?

"I once tried to pitch the idea of a multiple-author anthology of fiction about old women kicking butt, acting up and generally being the revolutionary viragoes that old women can be, but I couldn't get a publisher to bite," Hopkinson commented.

A traveling female spirit: Nalo Hopkinson takes her inspiration from the magic of the Caribbean and the strength of women

Both of these women are viragoes or heroines (good "virile" women of great stature, strength, and courage, and of great public accomplishments), with narrative emphasis placed on their acts or their doing, that is, as Crenne portrays it, on their "exerceant oeuvres viriles" ("exercising manly tasks").

Of great importance to Crenne, I believe, and to our understanding of her portrayal of women as viragoes "exerceant oeuvres viriles" ("exercising manly tasks"), is precisely this story of creation, but not the one found in Genesis 2:21-22, whose misogynist interpretation Helisenne's husband, following the thinking of Du Pont and Matheolus, is so indebted to and obsessed with.

Renaissance misogyny, biblical feminism, and Helisenne de Crenne's Epistres familieres et invectives

Full browser ?

CITE

Site: Follow: Share:

Open / Close