← Archaic insults
frouzy
adjective · 17th centuryIt sounds exactly like the texture of a dusty, unkempt velvet curtain.
Having a neglected, untidy, or offensive appearance.
In the wild
“Her frouzy dress suggested she had spent the entire weekend ignoring her chores.”
Origin
Of uncertain origin, likely appearing in the late 17th century to denote a musty or slatternly state.
Sources·Oxford English Dictionary/Johnson's Dictionary (1755)/Grose's Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1811)
Etymologist commentary·Hana Videen, Old English Wordhord
More from Archaic insults