tomboy
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tomboy
- /ˈtɒm.bɔɪ/ UK
- /ˈtɑm.bɔɪ/ US
Rhymes with -ɒmbɔɪ
Where it comes from
From tom + boy. First attested in Ralph Roister Doister (published 1567, written circa 1552), where it is used to describe a boisterous girl; the OED says the citation is however "generally taken" to mean a boisterous boy, and says that a use in The Old Law (published 1656, thought to have been written circa 1599) "certainly" means a boy: "must young court-tits / play tomboys' tricks with her?" By 1579 it was attested in the meaning "an immodest woman", and by no later than 1592 it had developed its modern meaning of a “girl who acts like a boy”.
Translations
Every language
noun girl who acts as a typical boy would
| Español | marimacha, marimacho, machorra, chicazo, varonera, chica masculina |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 말괄량이 malgwallyang'i |
| 日本語 | お転婆 otenba |
| 中文 | 假小子 jiǎxiǎozi, 女漢子 /女汉子 nǚhànzǐ |
| Português | maria-rapaz, menina macha |
| Français | garçon manqué, garçonne |
| Deutsch | burschikos, an ihr ist ein Junge verloren gegangen, Wildfang, Mannsweib, tomboy |
| Italiano | maschiaccio |
| Ελληνικά | αγοροκόριτσο agorokóritso |
| Română | fată băiețoasă |
| Русский | паца́нка pacánka, мужичка mužička, томбой tomboj |
| العربية | فَتَاة مُسْتَرْجِلَة |
Talk about this word "tomboy." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/tomboy. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. tomboy. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/tomboy "tomboy." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/tomboy.Cite this
@misc{tomboy_2026,
title = {tomboy},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/tomboy},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
