womens

womens

1. (nonstandard, African-American Vernacular) Alternative form of women (“plural of woman”)
   • 1954, “Hoochie Coochie Man”, Willie Dixon (lyrics), performed by Muddy Waters:

     He gonna make pretty womens
     Jump an' shout
     Then the world wanna know
     What this all about

2. Obsolete form of women's (possessive case of women)
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto VI”, in The Faerie Queene. , London: [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, page 84:

     He wondred at her wiſedome heuenly rare, / Whoſe like in womens witt he neuer knew;

   • 1640, John Parkinson, “Symphitum majus. Great Comfrey.”, in Theatrum Botanicum: The Theater of Plants. Or, An Herball of a Large Extent: , London: Tho Cotes, →OCLC, page 524:

     […] it is good to be applyed to womens breaſts, that grow ſore by the aboundance of milke comming into them: as alſo to repreſſe the overmuch bleeding of the hemorrhoids, to coole the Inflammations of the parts thereabouts, and to give eaſe of paines: […].

   • 1671, [Richard Head (denies authorship); Francis Kirkman (purported)], “He is Bound Prentice to a Taylor, the Knavery of that Trade, His Master of a Stitch, He is Turn’d over to a Baker, who Misusing Him He Runeth Away”, in The English Rogue: Continued in the Life of Meriton Latroon, and Other Extravagants. The Second Part. , London: Francis Kirkman, , →OCLC, page 113:

     Then for womens cloaths, the cabadge of cloath of ſilver, brancht Sattin, and the like, went for pin-cuſhions, pin-pillows, womens purſes; and if black, Church-wardens capes.

• mens

• Newsom, menows