Forms: 3–7 wenche, (4 weynche, 5 wenge, 6 wensche, whence), 4– wench; Sc. 6 winsch, wynch, vinche, 8–9 winch. [ME. wenche, shortened form of early ME. wenchel: see WENCHEL.]
1. a. A girl, maid, young woman; a female child. Now dial.
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., St. Kath., 75. Nou is þis … gret schame … to sende a-boute … After þe gretteste Maistres, for-to despuyti a-ȝen a fol wenche.
a. 1300. E. E. Psalter lxvii. 27. Bifor come princes samened to singand þar, In midde wenches of timpans war.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 1901. William & his worþi wenche [sc. Melior, his betrothed] þan were bliþe of þe help.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Serm., Sel. Wks. I. 59. Crist came to þe hous of þis prince þat þe wenche lay deed inne.
a. 1450. Mirk’s Festial, 201. Then cryed þe fende and sayde: ‘Alas,… al my myȝt ys lorne, now such a ȝeong wench hath ouercomen me.’
1519. Interl. Four Elem. (Percy Soc.), 25. Than we wyll have lytell Nell, A proper Wenche, she daunsith well.
1548. Udall, Erasm. Par., Luke i. 57, 58. To whom it had been an happie chaunce to haue brought foorth a wenche, but a muche more luckie happe it was, to haue brought foorth a soonne.
1586. in Wadley, Bristol Wills (1886), 250. If my wief be with Child whether it bee a Boye or a wenche I doe geve and bequeath vnto yt xxll.
1606. Shaks., Ant. & Cl., I. i. 36. Prythee how many Boyes and Wenches must I haue.
1648. Cromwell, Lett. to Norton, 3 April. The money I shall need for my two little Wenches; and thereby I shall free my Son from being charged with them.
1665. Wood, Life (O. H. S.), II. 53. One Mr. John Viccaridg his child (a wench) of 11 years old.
1787. Burns, Let. W. Nicol, 1 June. A clean-shankit, straught, tight, weel-far’d winch.
1860. Geo. Eliot, Mill on Fl., I. ii. ‘It seems a bit of a pity, though,’ said Mr. Tulliver, ‘as the lad should take after the mother’s side i’stead o’ the little wench.’
1895. Crockett, Men of Moss-hags, xl. 287. For she was ever the most spirity wench in the world.
b. A girl of the rustic or working class.
1575. G. Harvey, Letter-bk. (Camden), 145. She was but a milkmaide, and a plaine cuntrie wench.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. iii. 11. She to her gan call,… But the rude wench her answer’d nought at all.
1620. Shelton, 2nd Pt. Don Quix., x. 59. Seeing none but the three wenches, he was somewhat troubled.
1717. Lady M. W. Montagu, Let. Pope, 1 April. These wenches [daughters of Greek gardeners] … pass their time at their looms.
1843. G. P. R. James, Forest Days, v. His taste lies amongst country wenches.
c. As a familiar or endearing form of address; used chiefly in addressing a daughter, wife or sweetheart. Now only dial. or arch.
1581. A. Hall, Iliad, V. 97. [Juno to Pallas] Go we my wench, and let vs shew this dizarde here at ful, What power … we two haue.
1613. Shaks., Hen. VIII., IV. ii. 167 [Katharine to Patience, her woman.] When I am dead, good Wench, Let me be vs’d with Honor.
1826. Scott, Woodst., ii. ‘I fear ye lie, wench,’ said her father.
1848. Mrs. Gaskell, Mary Barton, iii. Thou’lt have enough to do and to bear, poor wench, to-morrow.
1856. Mrs. Browning, Aur. Leigh, III. 1056. The mother held her tight, Saying … ‘Why wench, why wench, The squire speaks to you now.’
1885. J. Payn, Talk of Town, I. 189. Of course it annoyed me, wench, to see Frank so obstinate.
2. A wanton woman; a mistress. Obs. exc. arch.
More explicitly common, light or wanton wench, wench of the stews.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. Prol. 51. Ermytes on an hep wiþ hoteide staues, Wenten to Walsyngham & here wenchis aftir. Ibid. (1377), B. XIX. 433. Wenches of þe stuwes.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Merch. T., 958. I am a gentil womman and no wenche.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 263. Envie … Is of the Court the comun wenche.
c. 1420. Chron. Vilod., 3360. Kyng Edgarus douȝter yche wene he was, Y-kete bot vpon a wenche.
a. 1529. Skelton, Col. Clout, 970. Vpon these beestes rydynge, Naked boyes strydynge, With wanton wenches winkyng.
1535. Coverdale, Isaiah xxiii. 16. Take thy lute (saie men to her) and go aboute the citie, thou art yet an vnknowne wensche.
1590. Shaks., Com. Err., IV. iii. 55. Nay, she is worse, she is the diuels dam: And here she comes in the habit of a light wench.
1607. Dekker & Webster, Northw. Hoe, I. B 1. A lodging of your prouiding? to bee cal’d a Lieutenants, or a Captaines wench!
1666. Pepys, Diary, 6 Aug. Find my wife mightily out of order, and reproaching of Mrs. Pierce and Knipp as wenches, and I know not what.
1698. [see LIG-BY].
1765. Francis, trans. Hor., Sat. (ed. 7), I. iv. 65. His spendthrift Son, who spurns the portion’d Bride, And keeps a common Wench.
1781. Johnson, in Boswell, 8 May. Chief Justice —, who loved a wench, summed up favourably, and she was acquitted.
3. A female servant, maidservant, serving-maid; also † handmaid, † bondwoman.
1380. Lay Folks Catech. (L.), 861. Thy neyȝboris hows, wenche ne knaue Coueyte hem noȝt.
c. 1384. Chaucer, H. Fame, 206. Lord and lady, grome and wenche Of al the Troyan nacioun.
c. 1400. Apol. Loll. (Camden), 74. As God bad bi Sara, Kast out þe wench and her son.
c. 1491. Chast. Goddes Chyld., 89. He [Peter] that for a worde of a wenche forsoke hymn.
1526. Tindale, Mark xiv. 66. There cam won of the wenches off the hyest preste.
1578. T. N., trans. Conq. W. India, 27. He determined to send one of the wenches to call her maister.
1659–60. Pepys, Diary, 10 March. My wife was late making of caps for me, and the wench making of a pair of stockings.
1710. Steele, Tatler, No. 248, ¶ 5. The Wench in the Kitchen sings and scowers from norning to night.
1740. Richardson, Pamela (1824), I. iv. 19. O! said she, if the wench, (for so she calls us maiden-servants,) takes care of herself she’ll improve.
1758. Johnson, Idler, No. 26, ¶ 3. Scarcely a wench was to be got for all work.
1819. Scott, Bride Lamm., vi. It is the wench of the house clattering to the well in her pattens.
1843. Lefevre, Life Trav. Phys., I. 8–9. I … was informed by a dirty looking wench who opened the door, that the young ladies were gone with their mamma to take a walk in the country.
1883. Miss Broughton, Belinda, III. viii. Tea … is brought out to them, in an arbour overlooking the stream, by a stout wench.
attrib. 1552. Huloet, Wenche seruaunte, ancilla.… A … maid seruaunte, or pore wenche seruaunt.
b. U.S. (See quots.)
1765. Boston Gazette, 17 June (Thornton). ’Tis said the Fire was occasioned by a Negro Wench carrying a Quantity of Ashes.
1828–32. Webster, Wench. 3. In America, a black or colored female servant; a negress.
1848. Bartlett, Dict. Amer.
1891. Century Dict., Wench. 3 (c) A colored woman of any age; a negress or mulattress, especially one in service. (Colloq.)
4. Comb.: Wench-like a., girlish.
1552. Huloet, Wenche lyke, puellaris.
1611. Shaks., Cymb., IV. ii. 230. Do not play in Wench-like words with that which is so serious.
