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Dictionary Language resources

termagant

Pronunciation: /ˈtəːməg(ə)nt/

Definition of termagant

noun

1a harsh-tempered or overbearing woman.

2 (Termagant) historical an imaginary deity of violent and turbulent character, often appearing in morality plays.

Origin:

Middle English (in sense 2): via Old French from Italian Trivagante, taken to be from Latin tri- 'three' + vagant- 'wandering', and to refer to the moon ‘wandering’ between heaven, earth, and hell under the three names Selene, Artemis, and Persephone