from the blue worsted stockings worn by members of a C18 literary society
bluestocking in American English
(ˈbluˌstɑkɪŋ)
noun
a learned, bookish, or pedantic woman
Word origin
from the unconventional blue (instead of black) stockings worn by Benjamin Stillingfleetat literary meetings in the home of Mrs. E. R. Montagu in London in the 1750s
Examples of 'bluestocking' in a sentence
bluestocking
On the instant, she had turned from aggressive bluestocking to wistful orphan.
West, Charles STAGE FRIGHT (2002)
I think they took pity on Pink the instant they set eyes on her, and there's no doubt she's as much of a bluestocking as they'd wish for.