Slut (archaic: slattern) is an English-language term for a person, usually a woman, who is sexually promiscuous or considered to have loose sexual morals. Predominately used as an insult, sexual slur, or offensive term of disparagement, it originally meant "a dirty, slovenly woman". Rarely used in reference to men, clarification such as male slut or man whore may be warranted. The word was used as early as the late 14th century (in the form of an adjective, sluttish, referring to a man's untidy appearance) by Geoffrey Chaucer in The Canterbury Tales. From the late 20th century, there have been attempts to reclaim the word, exemplified by various SlutWalk parades, and some individuals embrace the title as a source of pride.
Etymology, common usages and synonyms The common denotative meanings of slut are 'sexually promiscuous woman', or 'immoral or dissolute woman; prostitute'. These definitions identify a slut as a woman of low character—a person who lacks the ability or chooses not to exercise a power of discernment to order her affairs. Similar terms used for men are cad, rake, male slut, man whore, himbo, womanizer, stud, and player. The adjective slutty carries a similar connotation, but can be applied both to people and to clothing and accessories, such as Halloween costumes. Although the ultimate origin of the word slut is unknown, it first appeared in Middle English in 1402 as slutte (AHD), with the meaning of 'dirty, untidy, or slovenly woman'. Even earlier, Geoffrey Chaucer used the word sluttish (c. 1386) to describe a slovenly man; however, later uses appear almost exclusively associated with women. The modern sense of 'sexually promiscuous woman' dates to at least 1450. The word was originally used around 1450 in the late Middle English language. It was used to describe a woman as dirty, or refer to her as a prostitute, harlot, or immoral woman. The word slut also took a similar form around the same era in the Norwegian language as slutr 'sleet', also known as an impure liquor. Another early meaning was 'kitchen maid or drudge' (c. 1450), a meaning retained as late as the 18th century, when hard knots of dough found in bread were referred to as slut's pennies. An example of this use is Samuel Pepys's diary description of his servant girl as "an admirable slut" who "pleases us mightily, doing more service than both the others and deserves wages better" (February 1664). Slut and slutishness occur in Shakespeare's comedy As You Like It, written in 1599 or 1600. In the nineteenth century, the word was used as a euphemism in place of bitch in the sense of a female dog. Today, the term slut has a pervasive presence in popular culture and pornography, but is almost exclusively used to describe women. An exact male equivalent of the term does not exist. The lack of a comparably popular term for men highlights the double standard in societal expectations (gender roles) between males and females, as negative terms for sexually promiscuous males are rare. Out of the 220 terms ascribed to females and 20 terms ascribed to males, all female terms are disapproving while some male terms signal approval or praise; these include stud, player, and man whore. While colloquial terms such as male slut or man whore are used in popular culture, they are usually used in a joking manner. There are, however, other terms that can be used to criticize men for their sexuality. For example, a man's masculinity can be undermined by using terms such as weak, sissy, pussy, or whipped. They also dismiss female-on-male abuse, and are just as powerful and representative of modern societal prejudices. Hence, women may find it difficult to hold high positions at their workplace, whereas men may be mocked for choosing to be stay-at-home fathers. Although a sexually active and professionally successful woman might be seen as a threat, a man without those qualities is often regarded with suspicion and questions about his sexuality. The word slut is commonly interchanged with the words tramp, whore, hoe, nympho, and hooker. All of these words have a very negative connotation. Additional meanings and connotations of the term are negative and identify a slut as being a slovenly and ugly person, for example, as in these quotations from OED2:
Hearne, 1715: "Nor was she a Woman of any Beauty, but was a nasty Slut." Shenstone, 1765: "She's ugly, she's old, ... And a slut, and a scold." The attack on the character of the person is perhaps best brought together by the highly suggestive and related compound word, slut's-hole, meaning a place or receptacle for rubbish; the associated quote provides a sense of this original meaning:
Saturday Review (London), 1862: "There are a good many slut-holes in London to rake out." Slut can also be used as verb to denote behavior characterized as that of a slut. For example, in the 1972 play, That Championship Season, by Jason Miller, contained the exchange:
Alternative usages and culture
General
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