different between knave vs miscreant

English

Etymology

From Middle English knave, knafe, from Old English cnafa (“child, boy, youth; servant”), from Proto-West Germanic *knab?.

Pronunciation

• enPR: n?v, IPA^(key): /ne?v/
• Rhymes: -e?v
• Homophone: nave

Noun

knave (plural knaves)

1. (archaic) A boy; especially, a boy servant.
2. (archaic) Any male servant; a menial.

   • Many a duteous and knee-crooking knave that, doting on his own obsequious bondage, wears out his time, much like his master's ass, For naught but provender, and when he's old – cashier'd! Whip me such honest knaves.

3. A tricky, deceitful fellow; a dishonest person.

   Synonyms: rogue, villain

   • I had never defrauded a man of a farthing, nor called him knave behind his back. But now the last rag that covered my nakedness had been torn from me. I was branded a blackleg, card-sharper, and murderer.
4. (card games) A playing card marked with the figure of a servant or soldier; a jack.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:villain

Derived terms

• knavery
• knavish

Translations

Anagrams

• Kevan, Vanek

Middle English

Alternative forms

• cnave, knafe, cnafe, knaffe, knaue, knawe, knaf, knaw

Etymology

From Old English cnafa, from Proto-Germanic *knabô. Compare knape.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?kna?v(?)/

Noun

knave (plural knaves or knaven)

1. son, male child (offspring)
2. boy, lad, male child or baby
3. guy, bloke, man
4. servant, hireling, menial
5. peasant, lowly individual
6. infantryman, soldier
7. knave, caitiff, despicable individual

Related terms

• knave child

Descendants

• English: knave
• Scots: knave, knafe, knaif

References

• “kn?ve, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-04-23.

English

Alternative forms

• miscreaunt (obsolete)

Etymology

From Old French mescreant (1080) "mis-believer", present participle of mescreire "to misbelieve" (modern mécroire).

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) enPR: m?s?kr?-?nt, IPA^(key): /?m?s.k?i.?nt/

Adjective

miscreant (comparative more miscreant, superlative most miscreant)

1. Lacking in conscience or moral principles; unscrupulous.
2. (theology) Holding an incorrect religious belief.

Translations

Noun

miscreant (plural miscreants)

1. One who has behaved badly, or illegally.

   The teacher sent the miscreants to see the school principal.

2. One not restrained by moral principles; an unscrupulous villain.
   • a. 1719, Joseph Addison, A Riddle of Dean Swift's verfified

     A meagre Catchpole hurries me to fail; No Miscreant, so remorseless, ever tore
     Thy Journals, Fog, or knock'd at Franklin's door

3. (theology) One who holds a false religious belief; a misbeliever.

   • That hast with knightlesse guile and trecherous train

     Faire knighthood fowly shamed

   (Can we find and add a quotation of De Quincey to this entry?)

Quotations

• For quotations using this term, see Citations:miscreant.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:troublemaker
• See also Thesaurus:villain

Translations

Anagrams

• Encratism, minecarts