| 释义 |
prude
I. \ˈprüd\ noun
(-s)
Etymology: French, wise or good woman, prudish woman, short for prudefemme wise or good woman, from Middle French, alteration of preudefemme, from Old French prode femme, from prode (feminine of prod, prud, prou good, capable, brave) + femme woman — more at proud, femme
: a person who is excessively or priggishly attentive to propriety or oversensitive to slight breaches of decorum
< not a book for prudes — Saturday Review >
< “you're prudes … this and that can't be discussed before you” — Henry Green >
especially : a woman who shows or affects extreme modesty or reticence (as in speech, behavior, or dress)
< cold, heartless, a prude, he called her — Virginia Woolf >
< a prude … virtuously flies from the temptation of her desires — Ambrose Bierce >
II. adjective
Etymology: French, back-formation from prudefemme
archaic : prudish |