houspiller

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French

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Inherited from Middle French houssepillier (to mistreat by shaking or growling) and Norman gouspiller (to shake, thrash, ill-treat), both from a root *housp-, *gousp- (to scorn, scold, reproach), from or akin to Old English hosp (reproach, insult), Old English ġehyspan (to deride, scorn, mock, reproach) (—Diez), or from Proto-West Germanic *husp, *husk, from Proto-Indo-European *kūd- (to mock).

Related to Old English husċ (mockery, scorn, insult, derision), Old High German hosc (invective, censure, mockery, travesty), Norwegian dialectal huta (to shout at, treat contemptuously). Related to English forhush.

Pronunciation

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Verb

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houspiller

  1. to chide or scold someone harshly, usually accompanied by pulling and shaking, berate
  2. to criticise
  3. to rebuke, reprehend
  4. to mistreat, torment, mob; to cause worry or distress

Conjugation

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Further reading

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