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bluestocking

noun
blue·​stock·​ing | \ ˈblü-ˌstä-kiŋ How to pronounce bluestocking (audio) \

Definition of bluestocking

: a woman having intellectual or literary interests
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Did You Know?

In mid-18th century England, a group of ladies decided to replace evenings of card playing and idle chatter with "conversation parties," inviting illustrious men of letters to discuss literary and intellectual topics with them. One regular guest was scholar-botanist Benjamin Stillingfleet. His hostesses willingly overlooked his cheap blue worsted stockings (a type disdained by the elite) in order to have the benefit of his lively conversation. Those who considered it inappropriate for women to aspire to learning derisively called the group the "Blue Stocking Society." The women who were the original bluestockings rose above the attempted put-down and adopted the epithet as a name for members of their society.

Examples of bluestocking in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

 Bluestockings Bookstore/Cafe, 172 Allen St, NYC 10002. — Bruce Sterling, WIRED, "RE/SEARCH, that unique, time-honored service from San Francisco’s Bohemia," 6 Feb. 2007

First Known Use of bluestocking

1780, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for bluestocking

Bluestocking society, 18th century literary clubs

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More Definitions for bluestocking

bluestocking

noun
How to pronounce bluestocking (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of bluestocking

old-fashioned + often disapproving : an educated woman who is interested in books and ideas

See the full definition for bluestocking in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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