DOWDY

dowdy, frumpy, frumpish

(adjective) primly out of date; “nothing so frumpish as last year’s gambling game”

dowdy

(adjective) lacking in smartness or taste; “a dowdy grey outfit”; “a clean and sunny but completely dowdy room”

dowdy, pandowdy

(noun) deep-dish apple dessert covered with a rich crust

Dowding, Hugh Dowding, Baron Hugh Caswall Tremenheere Dowding, Dowdy

(noun) British marshal of the RAF who commanded the British air defense forces that defeated the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain (1882-1970)

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Proper noun

Dowdy (plural Dowdys)

A surname.

Statistics

• According to the 2010 United States Census, Dowdy is the 2678th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 13468 individuals. Dowdy is most common among White (77.15%) and Black/African American (17.59%) individuals.

Etymology

Late 16th century. Origin uncertain: probably literally “little poorly dressed woman,” formed from doue, “poorly dressed woman.”

Adjective

dowdy (comparative dowdier, superlative dowdiest)

Plain and unfashionable in style or dress.

Lacking stylishness or neatness; shabby.

Noun

dowdy (plural dowdies)

A plain or shabby person

Source: Wiktionary


Dow"dy, a. [Compar. Dowdier; superl. Dowdiest.] Etym: [Scot. dawdie slovenly, daw, da sluggard, drab, Prov. E. dowd flat, dead.]

Definition: Showing a vulgar taste in dress; awkward and slovenly in dress; vulgar-looking.

– Dow"di*ly, adv.

– Dow"di*ness, n.

Dow"dy, n.; pl. Dowdies (.

Definition: An awkward, vulgarly dressed, inelegant woman. Shak. Dryden.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

6 May 2025

HEEDLESS

(adjective) marked by or paying little heed or attention; “We have always known that heedless self-interest was bad morals; we know now that it is bad economics”--Franklin D. Roosevelt; “heedless of danger”; “heedless of the child’s crying”


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Coffee Trivia

Espresso is both a coffee beverage and a brewing method that originated in Italy. When making an espresso, a small amount of nearly boiling water under pressure forces through finely-ground coffee beans. It has more caffeine per unit volume than most coffee beverages. Its smaller serving size will take three shots to equal a mug of standard brewed coffee.

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