dudgen

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English

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Etymology

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Unknown. Compare dudgeon.

Noun

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dudgen

  1. (obsolete) Something worthless; trash.
    • 1815 Sir Egerton Brydges, Archaica: Harvey's Four letters, and sonnets, touching Robert Greene; Pierce's supererogation; [and] New letter of notable contents. Brathwaite's Essays upon the five senses, From the private press of Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, printed by T. Davison, p142
      [] whose wild and madbrain humour nothing fitteth so just, as the stalest dudgen or absurdest balductum, that they or their mates can invent in odd and awk speeches []

Adjective

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dudgen (comparative more dudgen, superlative most dudgen)

  1. (obsolete) Contemptible.
    • 1593, Gabriel Harvey, Pierces Supererogation: Or A New Prayse of the Old Asse, page 21:
      A melancholy boddy is not the kindest nurse for a chearely minde, (the joviall complexion is soverainly beholding to nature,) but I know not a finer transformation in Ovid then the Metamorphosis of dudgen earnest into sport; of harsh sower into sweet; of losse into gaine; or reproch into credit; of whatsoever badd occurrence into some good.
    • 1594, Thomas Nashe, The Terrors of the Night:
      Gentlemen (according to the laudable custome) I am to court you with a few premisses considered: but a number of you there bee, who consider neigher premisses nor conclusion, but piteouslie torment Title Pages on euerie poast: neuer readidng farther of anie Booke, than Imprinted by Simeon such a signe, and yet with your dudgen iudgement will desperatelie presume to run up to the hard hilts through the whole bulke of it.
    • 1599, Michael Drayton, Idea, page 107:
      Think' st thou, my Wit shall keepe the pack- Horse Way , That ev'ry Dudgen low Invention goes?

Anagrams

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