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light-o'-love. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
light-o'-love, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
light-o'-love in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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English
Alternative forms
Noun
light-o'-love (plural lights-o'-love)
- An old tune of a dance, the name of which made it a proverbial expression of levity, especially in love matters.
c. 1590–1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Two Gentlemen of Verona”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):Best sing it to the tune of light o' love.
- (by extension) A flirtatious or wanton woman.
1626 February 13 (licensing date), Francis Beaumont, John Fletcher, “The Noble Gentleman”, in Comedies and Tragedies , London: Humphrey Robinson, , and for Humphrey Moseley , published 1647, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):You light-o'-love, a word or two.
1866, Various, The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 17, No. 103, May, 1866, page 618:That is why a priest's light-o'-love is always some honest man's wife.
Synonyms
References
- “light-o'-love”, in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
- “light-o'-love”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.