subs. (old).—A mistress; a prostitute; occasionally, a jade, a girl, even a wife. In West of England, DOXY = a baby. For synonyms, see BARRACK-HACK and TART.
1567. HARMAN, A Caveat or Warening for Common Cursetors (1814), p. 14. And thither repayre at accustomed tymes, their harlotes which they terme mortes and DOXES.
1592. GREENE, A Quip for an Upstart Courtier, in wks., xi., 283. The Pedler as bad or rather worse, walketh the country with his DOCKSEY at the least.
1610. ROWLANDS, Martin Mark-all, p. 14 [Hunterian Club’s Reprint, 1874]. You decypher and point out a poore Rogue, or a DOXIE that steale and rob hedges of a few ragged clothes.
1611. CHAPMAN, May-Day, Act IV., p. 299 (Plays, 1874). He call’d me punk, and pandar, and DOXY, and the vilest nicknames.
1617. C. SHADWELL, The Fair Quaker of Deal, Act v. Thou couldst not have picked out a wife so fit for thee, out of a whole regiment of DOXIES.
1694. DUNTON, Ladies’ Dictionary. Prostitute DOXIES are neither wives, maids, nor widows; they will for good victuals, or for a very small piece of money, prostitute their bodies, and then protest they never did any such thing before, that it was pure necessity that now compell’d them to do what they have done, and the like; whereas the jades will prove common hacknies upon every slight occasion.
1727. GAY, The Beggar’s Opera, Act III., Sc. 3. Finale.
| Thus I stand like the Turk, with his DOXIES around, | |
| From all sides their glances his passion confound. |
1748. T. DYCHE, A New General English Dictionary (5 ed.). DOXY (s.), a she-beggar … the female companion of a foot-soldier, travelling tinker, etc.
1851–61. H. MAYHEW, London Labour and the London Poor, vol. I., p. 231. List of patterers’ words. DOXY—a wife.
