knave
from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Knave \Knave\ (n[=a]v), n. [OE., boy, servant, knave, AS. cnafa
boy, youth; cf. AS. cnapa boy, youth, D. knaap, G. knabe boy,
knappe esquire, Icel. knapi, Sw. knape esquire, kn[aum]fvel
knave.]
1. A boy; especially, a boy servant. [Obs.] --Wyclif.
Chaucer.
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O murderous slumber,
Lay'st thou thy leaden mace upon my boy
That plays thee music ? Gentle knave, good night.
--Shak.
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2. Any male servant; a menial. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
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He's but Fortune's knave,
A minister of her will. --Shak.
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3. A tricky, deceitful fellow; a dishonest person; a rogue; a
villain. "A pair of crafty knaves." --Shak.
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In defiance of demonstration, knaves will continue
to proselyte fools. --Ames.
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Note: "How many serving lads must have been unfaithful and
dishonest before knave -- which meant at first no more
than boy -- acquired the meaning which it has now !"
--Trench.
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4. A playing card marked with the figure of a servant or
soldier; a jack; as, the knave of hearts.
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{Knave child}, a male child. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
Syn: Villain; cheat; rascal; rogue; scoundrel; miscreant.
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from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Varlet \Var"let\, n. [OF. varlet, vaslet, vallet, servant, young
man, young noble, dim. of vassal. See {Vassal}, and cf.
{Valet}.]
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1. A servant, especially to a knight; an attendant; a valet;
a footman. [Obs.] --Spenser. Tusser.
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2. Hence, a low fellow; a scoundrel; a rascal; as, an
impudent varlet.
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What a brazen-faced varlet art thou ! --Shak.
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3. In a pack of playing cards, the court card now called the
{knave}, or {jack}. [Obs.]
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from
Bouvier's Law Dictionary, Revised 6th Ed (1856)
KNAVE. A false, dishonest, or deceitful person. This signification of the
word has arisen by a long perversion of its original meaning.
2. To call a man a knave has been held to be actionable. 1 Rolle's Ab.
52; 1 Freem. 277.,
from
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
77 Moby Thesaurus words for "knave":
ace, bad boy, bastard, best bower, blackguard, booger, bower,
buffoon, bugger, cards, clubs, cutup, deck, deuce, devil, diamonds,
dummy, elf, enfant terrible, face cards, flush, full house,
funmaker, hand, hearts, heel, hood, hoodlum, hooligan, imp, jack,
joker, jokester, king, left bower, little devil, little monkey,
little rascal, lowlife, minx, mischief, mischief-maker, miscreant,
pack, pair, picture cards, pixie, playing cards, practical joker,
prankster, precious rascal, puck, queen, rapscallion, rascal,
rogue, round, rowdy, royal flush, rubber, ruff, ruffian, scalawag,
scamp, scapegrace, scoundrel, shyster, singleton, sneak, spades,
spalpeen, straight, trey, trick, trump, villain, wag
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