ouche
/aʊtʃ/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English
10
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A brooch or clasp for fastening a piece of clothing together, especially when set with jewels or valuable.
Example Sentences
- "My huſbonde had a legende of his lyfe^([sic – meaning wyfe?]) / Eriphilem that for an ouche of golde / Hath preuely vnto the grekes tolde / Where that hir huſbonde hyd him in a place / For which he had at Thebes ſory grace."
- "[A]nd the hors trapped in the ſame wyſe doune to the helys wyth many owchys y ſette with ſtones and perlys in gold to the nombre of a thowſand […]"
- "a Persian mitre on her hed / She wore, with crownes and owches garnished […]"
- "Nay more than this; I find too, and finde certain, / VVhat Gold I have, Pearle, Bracelets, Rings, or Owches, / Or vvhat ſhe can deſire, Govvns Petticotes, / VVaiſtcotes, Embroydered-ſtockings, Scarffs, Cals, Feathers, / Hats, five pound Garters, Muffs, Masks, Ruffs, & Ribands, / I am to give her for't."
- "With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold."
- "A Grecian bandeau of white satin riband, tied round the head, with two long ends fluttering in the air—a profusion of false curls—a prodigality of glitter in the shape of tinsel, false diamonds, fingers full of rings, with “brooches, pearls, and ooches” innumerable—and the general befitting appurtenance of the geese wings—characterized the appearance of these ladies of the corps de ballet."
Etymology
From Middle English ouche, from nouche, which in phrases like a nouche was re-analyzed as an ouche (rebracketing). From Anglo-Norman nusche and Old French nusche (with metanalysis), from a Germanic source; compare German Nusche, Proto-Germanic *hnuts.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: ouche, nusche
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /aʊtʃ/
- British English: /aʊtʃ/