Sooterkin is an archaic term that can refer to a sweetheart, an afterbirth (in outdated beliefs), or something unsuccessful, possibly stemming from the Dutch word 'sweet.'
Sooterkin is an archaic term with multiple meanings, including a sweetheart or mistress, an afterbirth believed to be generated by warming oneself on stoves (especially by Dutch women), or something imperfect or unsuccessful. It possibly derives from the Dutch word for 'sweet.'
| Back | sooterkin /SOO-tuhr-kin/ |
|---|---|
| Front | noun 1. A sweetheart or mistress. 2. An afterbirth formerly believed to be gotten by Dutch women by warming themselves on stoves. 3. Something imperfect or unsuccessful. [Apparently from Dutch zoet (sweet). Earliest documented use: 1530.] “sooterkin, my twin how oft I see you in dark corners of this room so like our early home, a hot dark womb” Alison Calder; Wolf Tree; Coteau Books; 2007. “Dr. Maubray even claimed that he had seen and delivered a sooterkin when he was traveling on a ferry from Harlingen to Amsterdam and a woman fell into labor on board.” - Jan Bondeson; A Cabinet of Medical Curiosities; W.W. Norton; 1999. |
Learn with these flashcards. Click next, previous, or up to navigate to more flashcards for this subject.
Next card: Gold solidus sol-i-dus noun slash a gold coin issued
Previous card: Toenadering south too-nah-duhr-ing noun establishing reestablishing cordial relations
Up to card list: Hard English Vocabulary