Women's History

Term	Contextual note	Time/Region	References
babe
banshee	A female spirit in Irish folklore who heralds the death of a family member, usually by wailing, shrieking, or keening
bimbo
bird
bitch
Bossiness (LCSH)	This is a gender-coded term, and typically is only used to refer to women or girls who are considered to be overly assertive or self-confident. Preferred subject headings: Assertiveness (Psychology); Assertiveness in women; Assertiveness in girls		Cataloging Lab - Problem LCSH [1]
catty
courtesan/s	Originally used in the 13th century to mean the female equivalent of “courtier” – someone who attends the court of a monarch. From the 14th century, its meaning shifted to “a wanton woman, a mistress”.	1300-	David Shariatmadari – Eight words that reveal sexism at the heart of the English language [2]
concubine	Often used as a euphemism for sexual slavery
chick			International Centre for Missing & Exploited Childen - Glossary on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse [3]
Child pornography	Pornography is meant to be a consensual industry. By law, children cannot consent. Child sexual abuse material is more accurate.
crone	Term used to refer to an elderly woman, usually characterised negatively as ugly, disagreeable and evil. Characterisation enhanced through misogynistic and ageist beliefs.
dame/s
Defloration (LCSH)	Virginity.		Cataloging Lab [4]
doll
fag
fairy	A young woman, often with implications of promiscuity. Often moralistic or even pejorative.	1650s-1980s, UK & US	Green's Dictionary of Slang [5]
feminazi/s	Derogatory term for a radical feminist.		USA Today - A feminist glossary [6]
FGM Female genital mutilation
filthy
floozy
frigidity frigid			Norena Shopland, A Practical Guide to searching LGBTQIA historical records (Routledge 2021)
gal/s
Gentleman Jack Jack	Term used to denote “masculine” women in Britain and its colonies	Female homosexuality	Norena Shopland, A Practical Guide to searching LGBTQIA historical records (Routledge 2021)
girl/s	Disparaging when used to describe a grown woman
goddess/es	“Deities” sometimes preferred, such as in Native Hawaiian discourse.
Governess Governor	From the 15th century onwards, meaning “a woman who holds or exercises authority over a place, institution, or group of people”. Over time it drastically narrowed in scope and fell in status, coming to mean “a woman responsible for the care, supervision, or direction of a person, typically a child or young lady”.	1400-	David Shariatmadari – Eight words that reveal sexism at the heart of the English language [7]
hag	Term used to refer to an elderly woman, usually characterised negatively as ugly, disagreeable, and evil. Characterisation enhanced through misogynistic and ageist beliefs.
harlot	A derogatory term for a female prostitute
he his him	Avoid the generic “he”		Council of Europe – Stop Sexism [8]
hoe/s
hoochie/s
hussy hussies	Originally meant a female head of household. A contraction of 13th century husewif. From the 17th century onwards, it began to mean “a disreputable woman of improper behaviour”	1600-	David Shariatmadari – Eight words that reveal sexism at the heart of the English language [9]
hysterical hormonal neurotic emotional’ irrational
Illegitimate children (LCSH) Illegitimacy (LCSH)	Nonmarital births; Children of unmarried parents		Cataloging Lab - Problem LCSH [10]
incel	A member of an online community of young men who consider themselves unable to attract women sexually, typically associated with views that are hostile towards women and men who are sexually active.	2000s-
Kings and rulers (LCSH)	Sovereigns		Cataloging Lab - Problem LCSH [11]
lady doctor			Your Dictionary – Sexist Language [12]
…like a girl
loose loose woman
Madam Sir	Sometimes used as the female equivalent of “Sir” in formal contexts today. From the late 18th century it was also used to mean “a conceited or precocious girl or young woman; a hussy, a minx”, alternatively a kept mistress or prostitute. From the 19th century it was used to refer to the female manager of a brothel.	1800-	David Shariatmadari – Eight words that reveal sexism at the heart of the English language [13]
man mankind	Do not use the word “man” to refer to humanity.		UA Little Rock – Avoid Sexist Language [14]
maiden maidenhood old maid	Women have historically been defined by their sexual activity in a way that men are not. These terms suggest that true womanhood depends on marriage to a man / sexual intercourse with a man. “Maidenhood” was presented as something to be ‘lost’ or ‘given’, with misogynistic moral judgements being placed on women’s behaviour but not men’s’.		Kirsten MacQuarrie
mistress	Originally meant to mean “a woman having control or authority”. After the 17th century it was used to mean “a woman other than his wife with whom a man had a long-lasting sexual relationship”	1600-	David Shariatmadari – Eight words that reveal sexism at the heart of the English language [15]
Mrs. Mrs
mutton dressed as lamb
nympho/s
Pregnant women	Pregnant people		Cataloging Lab - Problem LCSH [16]
prostitutes/s Prostitution prozzie/s prozzy/s sex workers sex work fallen angels
puta (Spanish)	A prostitute or a woman who has many casual sexual encounters or relationships.
scarlet woman
shrew/s
skank/s
skirt
slag/s slut/s slutty
spinster bachelor	An occupation term that originally referred to someone who spun yarn or thread. The term became associated with unmarried women, since they might have to rely on spinning as a source of income. It became the legal way to refer to a woman without a husband. In the 18th century it was used to refer to single women considered beyond the usual age of marriage.		David Shariatmadari – Eight words that reveal sexism at the heart of the English language [17]
tart	19th century contraction of “sweetheart”, a term of endearment for women. From 1887, it is attested as meaning “a female of moral character; a prostitute”.		David Shariatmadari – Eight words that reveal sexism at the heart of the English language [18]
tomboy/s	Expression originated in the 16th century to name a young girl who prefers activities, appearance, and kid attitude, of the allegedly male. It can also be used for an effeminate boy trying to look masculine.	1500-, women’s history, male homosexuality	Mosca de Colores – Gay Dictionary [19]
tootsie
tramp/s trampy	a woman who has many casual sexual encounters or relationships.
trollop/s trollope/s	Prostitute or a woman who has many casual sexual encounters or relationships.
virginity virgin/s pure purity	Misrepresented as a medical ‘state’ and unevenly applied to men and women.		Kirsten MacQuarrie
wench/es			David Shariatmadari – Eight words that reveal sexism at the heart of the English language [20]
whore/s whorish