Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun Vulgar, lewdly humorous language or joking or an instance of it.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The qualities or acts of a ribald; licentious or foul language; ribald conversation; obscenity; indecency.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun The talk of a ribald; low, vulgar language; indecency; obscenity; lewdness; -- now chiefly applied to indecent language, but formerly, as by Chaucer, also to indecent acts or conduct.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun Joking or humorous language done in a vulgar or lewd fashion.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun ribald humor
- noun behavior or language bordering on indelicacy
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word ribaldry.
Examples
-
Our countryman, in the end of his characters, before the Canterbury tales, thus excuses the ribaldry, which is very gross in many of his novels.
English literary criticism Various
-
Our countryman, in the end of his characters, before the _Canterbury Tales_, thus excuses the ribaldry, which is very gross in many of his novels:
Prefaces and Prologues to Famous Books with Introductions, Notes and Illustrations Edmund Spenser 1730
-
Our countryman, in the end of his characters, before the Canterbury tales, thus excuses the ribaldry, which is very gross in many of his novels.
The Poetical Works of John Dryden, Volume 2 With Life, Critical Dissertation, and Explanatory Notes John Dryden 1665
-
I man, in the end of his chara6lcrs, before the Canter - bury tales, thus excufes the ribaldry, which is very grofs in many of his novels.
The Works of the English Poets.: With Prefaces, Biographical and Critical 1779
-
Meanwhile "inebriation in all its most brutal and disgraceful shapes" takes its moral toll upon the masses in the form of vile oaths, imprecations, naughty songs, and pervasive "ribaldry"; thus procedures that are intended to facilitate public participation actually create an "earthly hell" on the deck of the outlaw vessel (405).
Love and Merit in the Maritime Historical Novel: Cooper and Scott 2006
-
Why do you scarify His works with this presumptuous kind of ribaldry? "
Heart of the West [Annotated] O. Henry 1886
-
No ribaldry, no drinking songs echoing out of dark alleys.
Archive 2009-12-01 Reis O'Brien 2009
-
Johnston's love of "theatricals" is well-represented, and if some of his Old Etonian ribaldry sounded better than it reads 20 years on, it is forgivable because the opportunity to indulge his passions is executed engagingly and with such enthusiasm.
The Best Views from the Boundary – Test Match Special's Greatest Interviews Rob Bagchi 2010
-
As a West Ham fan, I am aware of the ribaldry, invective and outright abuse this statement leaves me open to, but unless and until we qualify, that is my position.
Liverpool's European Losers Cup outing is enough to make ad men mad | Martin Kelner 2011
-
No ribaldry, no drinking songs echoing out of dark alleys.
Conan Fan Fiction! Cromsblood 2009
Comments
Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.