Revised 2018 More entries for "faggot"
faggotnoun & adjective
Factsheet
What does the word faggot mean?
There are 18 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word faggot, two of which are labelled obsolete, and three of which are considered offensive and derogatory. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
faggot has developed meanings and uses in subjects including
How common is the word faggot?
About 0.4occurrences per million words in modern written English
| 1750 | 1.5 |
| 1760 | 1.6 |
| 1770 | 1.6 |
| 1780 | 1.8 |
| 1790 | 1.9 |
| 1800 | 1.8 |
| 1810 | 1.7 |
| 1820 | 1.5 |
| 1830 | 1.3 |
| 1840 | 1.2 |
| 1850 | 1.0 |
| 1860 | 0.95 |
| 1870 | 0.91 |
| 1880 | 0.86 |
| 1890 | 0.78 |
| 1900 | 0.7 |
| 1910 | 0.63 |
| 1920 | 0.56 |
| 1930 | 0.49 |
| 1940 | 0.46 |
| 1950 | 0.42 |
| 1960 | 0.38 |
| 1970 | 0.38 |
| 1980 | 0.39 |
| 1990 | 0.41 |
| 2000 | 0.42 |
| 2010 | 0.45 |
How is the word faggot pronounced?
British English
/ˈfaɡət/
FAG-uht
U.S. English
/ˈfæɡət/
FAG-uht
Where does the word faggot come from?
Earliest known use
Middle English
The earliest known use of the word faggot is in the Middle English period (1150—1500).
OED's earliest evidence for faggot is from around 1312.
faggot is a borrowing from French.
Etymons: French fagot, faget.
Nearby entries
- fagged, adj.1578–
- fagger, n.1818–
- faggery, n.1834–39
- fagging, n.¹1641–
- fagging, n.²1746–
- fagging, n.³1807–
- fagging, adj.1665–
- fagging hook, n.1818–
- fagging partner, n.1798–1834
- fagging-stick, n.1875–
- faggot, n. & adj.c1312–
- faggot, v.1538–
- faggot brief, n.1844–69
- faggot drain, n.1802–
- faggoted, adj.c1670–
- faggoteer, n.1857–78
- faggoter, n.1441–
- faggot filling stitch, n.1934–
- faggoting, n.1545–
- faggot iron, n.c1503–
- faggotless, adj.1867–1914
Etymology
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Meaning & use
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Pronunciation
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Forms
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Frequency
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Compounds & derived words
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Entry history for faggot, n. & adj.
faggot, n. & adj. was revised in June 2018.
faggot, n. & adj. was last modified in March 2024.
oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:
- further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
- new senses, phrases, and quotations.
Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into faggot, n. & adj. in March 2024.
Earlier versions of this entry were published in:
OED First Edition (1894)
OED Second Edition (1989)
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Citation details
Factsheet for faggot, n. & adj.
Browse entry
Nearby entries
- fagged, adj.1578–
- fagger, n.1818–
- faggery, n.1834–39
- fagging, n.¹1641–
- fagging, n.²1746–
- fagging, n.³1807–
- fagging, adj.1665–
- fagging hook, n.1818–
- fagging partner, n.1798–1834
- fagging-stick, n.1875–
- faggot, n. & adj.c1312–
- faggot, v.1538–
- faggot brief, n.1844–69
- faggot drain, n.1802–
- faggoted, adj.c1670–
- faggoteer, n.1857–78
- faggoter, n.1441–
- faggot filling stitch, n.1934–
- faggoting, n.1545–
- faggot iron, n.c1503–
- faggotless, adj.1867–1914
