dunce
See also: dūncè
English
Etymology
1530, named after John Duns Scotus (circa 1265–1308).[1][2]
Scotus was ironically a well-known Scottish thinker. His followers, however, opposed the philosophers of the Renaissance, and thus "dunce" was first used to describe someone rejecting new knowledge in 1530; later, any stupid person.[2]
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /dʌns/
- Rhymes: -ʌns
Noun
dunce (plural dunces)
- An unintelligent person; an idiot.
- 1855, Robert Browning, “Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came”, XXX:
- [...] Dunce, / Dotard, a-dozing at the very nonce, / After a life spent training for the sight!
- 1855, Robert Browning, “Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came”, XXX:
Translations
References
- https://www.oxford-royale.co.uk/articles/14-fascinating-word-origins-english-language.html
- “dunce”, Wordorigins.org, Dave Wilton, Sunday, June 11, 2006.
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