termagant
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termagant¹
- /ˈtɜːməɡ(ə)nt/ UK
- /ˈtɜɹməɡənt/ US
Where it comes from
PIE word
*tréyes
The noun is derived from Termagant (“fictitious deity with a violent temperament represented as being worshipped by Muslims or other non-Christians”), from Middle English Termagaunt (“fictitious deity represented as being worshipped by Muslims; any pagan god”), from Anglo-Norman Tervagant, Tervagaunt, Tervagan, and Old French Tervagant, Tervagan (possibly with the addition of Anglo-Norman -aunt, Old French -ant (suffix forming present participles of verbs, some of which were used as nouns); modern French Tervagant (historical)); further etymology uncertain, one common suggestion being that it is from Latin ter (“three times, thrice”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *tréyes (“three”)) + vagāns (“rambling, wandering”) (the present active participle of vagor (“to ramble, roam, wander”), from vagus (“rambling, roaming, wandering”) (possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *Hwogos) + -or (inflected form of -ō (suffix forming regular first-conjugation verbs)). Medieval French chansons de geste named Termagant as one of three deities supposedly worshipped by Muslims, the others being Apollin and Mahound, and the name may allude to the wandering of the moon (the crescent moon being a common symbol of Islam) in the form of the mythological goddesses Selene in heaven, Diana on earth, and Proserpina in the underworld.
The reason for the shift in meaning from the fictitious deity to a brawling and turbulent person is unclear.
The adjective is derived from the noun.
noun termagants · termigant
- A brawling, boisterous, and turbulent person or thing. […] I do not find hovv his E[xcellenc]y can be juſtly cenſured for favouring none but High-Church, High-flyers, Termagants, Laudiſts, Sacheverellians, Tip-top-gallon-men, Jacobites, Tantivyes, Anti-Hannoverians, Friends to Popery and the Pretender, and to Arbitrary Povver, […]
-
A censorious, nagging, and quarrelsome woman; a scold, a shrew.
They [authors] would not suffer the stout'st Dame, / To swear by Hercules his Name, / Make feeble Ladies, in their Works, / To fight like Termagants and Turks; […]
Similar: battle axe, bitch, brim, brimstone, cat, cockatrice, crow, dragon, faggot, fishwife, harpy, harridan
adjective more termagant · most termagant
- Having the temperament of a termagant (noun sense 1); bad-tempered, brawling, boisterous, turbulent. [R]idiculous ſenſeles ſentences, finicall, flaunting phraſes, and termagant inkhorne tearmes throughout his booke, […]
- Of a woman, her behaviour, etc.: censorious, nagging, and quarrelsome; scolding, shrewish. [F]earing his Father ſhould knovv of it, and his VVife, vvho is a Termagant Lady: but vvhen he finds the Coaſt is clear, and his late ruffling knovvn to none but you, he vvill be drunk vvith joy.
Termagant²
- /ˈtɜːməɡ(ə)nt/ UK
- /ˈtɜɹməɡənt/ US
Where it comes from
PIE word
*tréyes
From Middle English Termagaunt (“fictitious deity represented as being worshipped by Muslims; any pagan god”), from Anglo-Norman Tervagant, Tervagaunt, Tervagan, and Old French Tervagant, Tervagan (possibly with the addition of Anglo-Norman -aunt, Old French -ant (suffix forming past participles of verbs, some of which were used as nouns); modern French Tervagant (historical)); further etymology uncertain, one common suggestion being that it is from Latin ter (“three times, thrice”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *tréyes (“three”)) + vagāns (“rambling, wandering”) (the present active participle of vagor (“to ramble, roam, wander”), from vagus (“rambling, roaming, wandering”) (possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *Hwogos) + -or (inflected form of -ō (suffix forming regular first-conjugation verbs)). Medieval French chansons de geste named Termagant as one of three deities supposedly worshipped by Muslims, the others being Apollin and Mahound, and the name may allude to the wandering of the moon (the crescent moon being a common symbol of Islam) in the form of the mythological goddesses Selene in heaven, Diana on earth, and Proserpina in the underworld.
proper noun
- A fictitious deity with a violent temperament who featured in medieval mystery plays, represented as being worshipped by Muslims or (less commonly) other non-Christians. I could haue ſuch fellow whipt for o're-doing Termagant: it out-Herod's Herod. Pray you auoid it.
Translations
Every language
noun censorious, nagging, and quarrelsome woman — see also shrew
| Español | arpía |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 鬼婆 oni-baba, 鬼嫁 oniyome |
| Français | mégère |
| Русский | меге́ра megéra, фурия furija, гарпия garpija, стерва sterva |
| Tiếng Việt | bà cô |
name fictitious deity with a violent temperament represented as being worshipped by Muslims or other non-Christians
| Español | Termagante |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | ターマガント Tāmaganto |
| Français | Tervagan, Tervagant |
| Deutsch | Termagant, Tervagant |
| Italiano | Termagante |
| Русский | Термага́нт Termagánt, Тривига́нт Trivigánt |
| العربية | ترماغنت |
Talk about this word "termagant." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/termagant. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. termagant. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/termagant "termagant." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/termagant.Cite this
@misc{termagant_2026,
title = {termagant},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/termagant},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
