or traipes, subs. (old).—1.  A sloven, slattern, draggletail (B. E. and GROSE): a generic term of contempt for a woman; hence (2) a going or gadding about, in a more or less careless, objectless, or even lawless fashion: also TRAPESING. As verb (or TO TRAPE) = to gad about; to wander listlessly, or in a slovenly or bedraggled fashion: cf. TRESPASS, Fr. trépasser.

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  1673.  COTTON, Burlesque upon Burlesque: or, The Scoffer Scofft, 270.

          Juno.  Learnedly spoke! I had not car’d
If Pallas here had been preferr’d;
But to bestow it on that TRAPES,
It mads me!

2

  1678.  BUTLER, Hudibras, III. ii. 467.

        But when he found the sullen TRAPES
Possess’d with th’ Devil, worms, and claps.

3

  1705.  VANBRUGH, The Confederacy, ii. Has she not lost her diamond necklace? Answer me to that, TRAPES.

4

  1710.  SWIFT, The Journal to Stella, 13 Dec., xi. I am to go TRAPESING with Lady Kerry and Mrs Pratt to see sights all this day.

5

  1714.  GAY, The What d’ye Call it, i. 1.

        From door to door I’d sooner whine and beg,
Both Arms shot off, and on a wooden Leg,
Than marry such a TRAPES.

6

  1725.  YOUNG, Love of Fame, Satire vi., ‘On Women.’

        Since full each other station of renown,
Who would not be the greatest TRAPES in town?

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  1728.  POPE, The Dunciad, iii. 149.

          See next two slip-shod Muses TRAIPSE along,
In lofty madness meditating song.

8

  1773.  GOLDSMITH, She Stoops to Conquer, i. The daughter a tall, TRAPESING, trolloping, talkative maypole.

9

  1837.  MRS. PALMER, Devonshire Courtship, 14. It wasn’t vor want o’ a good will, the litter-legg’d TRAPES hadn’t a’ blowed a coal between you and me.

10

  1843–4.  HALIBURTON (‘Sam Slick’), The Attaché, ii. So away goes lunch, and off goes you and the ‘Sir’ a-trampoosin’ and a-TRAPESIN’ over the wet grass agin.

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  1852.  THACKERAY, Esmond, ii. 15. How am I to go TRAPESING to Kensington in my yellow satin sack before all the fine company?

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  1855.  C. G. LELAND, Meister Karl’s Sketch-Book, 259. It has happened more than once to Meister Karl, during his tourifications, TRAPESINGS, tramps, trudges, and travels,… to be thrown into many a canny country corner of New England.

13

  1862.  E. WOOD, The Channings, III. xix. It’s such a toil and a TRAPES up them two pair of stairs for every little thing that’s wanted.

14

  1885.  Daily Chronicle, 14 Oct. He would not be found TRAPESING about the constituency.

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