subs. (old).—1.  A prostitute. [A corruption of ‘Irene,’ the heroine in Poole’s play: see quot. 1584.] For synonyms, see BARRACK-HACK and TART.

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  1584.  PEELE, The Turkish Mahomet and Hyren the Fair Greek. Note. In Italian called a courtezan; in Spaine a margarite; in French une putaine; in English … a punk.

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  1598.  SHAKESPEARE, 2 Henry IV., ii. 4. Have we not HIREN here!

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  1615.  T. ADAMS, The Spiritual Navigator bound for the Holy Land, in Works (1862), vol. iii., p. 49. There be sirens in the sea of the world. Sirens; hirens, as they are now called…. What a number of these sirens, HIRENS, cockatrices, courtezans, in plain English, harlots, swim amongst us!

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  d. 1618.  SYLVESTER, trans. Du Bartas’ Week of Creation, ii., 2, pt. 3.

        Of charming sin the deep-inchaunting syrens,
The snares of virtue, valour-softening HYRENS.

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  2.  (old).—A sword. Also a roaring bully; a fighting hector. [From Irene = the Goddess of Peace, a lucus a non lucendo.]

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