Dictionary Word of the Day: Virago

 Here's a word I've never heard:

virago \vuh-RAH-go; vuh-RAY-go\, noun:
1. A woman of extraordinary stature, strength, and courage.
2. A woman regarded as loud, scolding, ill-tempered, quarrelsome, or overbearing.

Could two definitions for the same word be more disparate?  Would you feel affirmed or offended?

I guess that's why they say, "Context is King."

Comments

[ukrainiac]

Offensively affirmed. Or affirmatively offended. Hard to believe that those two definitions could possibly be for the same word!

[rosemary]

Curious about the disparity, I looked the word up in my Webster's 1841 dictionary. Virago: manlike heroic woman. 1.a loud overbearing woman; shrew, termagant 2. a woman of great stature, strength, and courage; one possessing supposedly masculine qualities of body and mind.

I thought it sounded like the typical amazon woman, so I looked that up. Amazon: female warrior; a tall strong masculine woman; virago.

Interesting, isn't it? I would not want to be described as a virago. Thanks for teaching me a new word!

I had to go look up the word termagant: 2: an overbearing or nagging woman : shrew

I can tell where this is going and it's no good! I do know what a shrew is!

[Elle]

This made me laugh out loud with its cleverness. Context is definitely king. Thanks, Kim. :D

[missmellifluous]

Woah! I like 1 but would cringe at being called 2!!!
Gah!

I suppose it's a good word if you are wanting to be obtuse.

I'm guessing a true virago wouldn't understand or appreciate the subtleties of an obtuse reference. Even so, I wouldn't risk it!

[lawyerchik1]

Isn't it typical (sad) that the signs of true strength in women are ultimately characterized as negatives? I would be interested in the etymology/history of the word, but I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if the second definition reflects much more recent usage..... Otherwise, how could two such different meanings be associated with the same word?