Quean \kween\ , noun;
1. An overly forward, impudent woman; shrew; hussy
2. A prostitute
3. British: A girl or young woman, especially a robust one
4. Australian slang: Effeminate homosexual
Quean meaning "young, robust woman" comes from Old English cewne, meaning "woman" or "female surf, hussy, prostitute." The Old English word derives from Proto-Germanic *kwenon from Proto-Indo-European *gwen- ("woman, wife"). Quean is related to queen, which is unique in Indo-European languages because it is not a feminine derivative of the word for king.
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