subs. (old).—1. A young girl; a virgin; a young wanton. Later, a mistress: cf., DOXY. For synonyms, see TITTER.
1567. HARMAN, A Caveat or Warening for Common Cursetors, p. 75. A DELL is a yonge wenche, able for generation, and not yet knowen or broken by the vpright man.
1574–1637. JONSON, Gipsies Metamorphosed. Sweet doxies and DELLS My Roses and Nells.
1609. DEKKER, Lanthorne and Candlelight.
| Docked the DELL, for a Coper meke | |
| His wach shall feng a Prounces Nab-chete. |
1622. HEAD and KIRKMAN, The English Rogue. I met a DELL, I viewed her well.
1694. DUNTON, Ladies’ Dictionary. DELLS are young bucksom wenches, ripe, and prone to venery, but have not yet been debauch’d.
1706. E. COLES, English Dictionary. DELL, Doxy, c. a wench.
1834. W. H. AINSWORTH, Rookwood, bk. I., ch. ix. He was seized … by the bailiff of Westminster when dead drunk, his liquor having been drugged by his DELLS—and was shortly afterwards hanged at Tyburn.
