CHURL Definition & Meaning

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churl

[ churl ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a rude, boorish, or surly person.
a peasant; rustic.
a stingy person; miser; skinflint:
He was a churl in his affections.
English History. a freeman of the lowest rank.

churl

/ ��ʃɜː�� /

noun

a surly ill-bred person
archaic.
a farm labourer
a variant spelling of ceorl

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of churl¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English cherl, Old English ceorl “male human being, man, freeman (of the lowest class)”; cognate with Dutch kerel, German Kerl “guy, fellow, chap”; akin to carl

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51�Թ� History and Origins

Origin of churl¹

Old English ceorl; related to Old Norse karl, Middle Low German kerle, Greek ��ō�� old man

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

But I don’t want to be too much of a churl.

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It promised December after December of piqued arguments and cascading overreactions, churls chiming in from all sides, with no argument essentially lame.

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Only a churl would lament the existence of these testaments to the out-of-nowhere potential of a great pop hit.

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And you’d have to be a churl not to like it.

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Fondness for the Brown years is a niche sentiment in British politics, but only the churls deny that he was a substantial figure.

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