Blackguard

5 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Blackguard \Black"guard`\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Blackguarded};
     p. pr. & vb. n. {Blackguarding}.]
     To revile or abuse in scurrilous language. --Southey.
     [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:



  Blackguard \Black"guard\, a.
     Scurrilous; abusive; low; worthless; vicious; as, blackguard
     language.
     [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Blackguard \Black"guard\ (bl[a^]g"g[aum]rd), n. [Black + guard.]
     1. The scullions and lower menials of a court, or of a
        nobleman's household, who, in a removal from one residence
        to another, had charge of the kitchen utensils, and being
        smutted by them, were jocularly called the "black guard";
        also, the servants and hangers-on of an army. [Obs.]
        [1913 Webster]
  
              A lousy slave, that . . . rode with the black guard
              in the duke's carriage, 'mongst spits and dripping
              pans.                                 --Webster
                                                    (1612).
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. The criminals and vagrants or vagabonds of a town or
        community, collectively. [Obs.]
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. A person of stained or low character, esp. one who uses
        scurrilous language, or treats others with foul abuse; a
        scoundrel; a rough.
        [1913 Webster]
  
              A man whose manners and sentiments are decidedly
              below those of his class deserves to be called a
              blackguard.                           --Macaulay.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. A vagrant; a bootblack; a gamin. [Obs.]
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  blackguard
       n : someone who is morally reprehensible; "you dirty dog" [syn:
           {cad}, {bounder}, {dog}, {hound}, {heel}]
       v 1: subject to laughter or ridicule; "The satirists ridiculed
            the plans for a new opera house"; "The students poked
            fun at the inexperienced teacher"; "His former students
            roasted the professor at his 60th birthday" [syn: {ridicule},
             {roast}, {guy}, {laugh at}, {jest at}, {rib}, {make fun},
             {poke fun}]
       2: use foul or abusive language towards; "The actress abused
          the policeman who gave her a parking ticket"; "The angry
          mother shouted at the teacher" [syn: {abuse}, {clapperclaw},
           {shout}]

From THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993) [devils]:

  BLACKGUARD, n.  A man whose qualities, prepared for display like a box
  of berries in a market -- the fine ones on top -- have been opened on
  the wrong side.  An inverted gentleman.