cullion

English

Etymology

From Middle English coilon, borrowed from Old French coillon (“testicle, vile fellow, coward, dupe”), from Vulgar Latin *cōleōnem, from Latin cōleus (“sack, scrotum”). Doublet of culeus and cojones.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈkʌl.jən/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈkʌl.jən/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: cul‧lion

Noun

cullion (plural cullions)

1. (obsolete, usually in the plural) Synonym of testicle.
   • 1587, Raphael Holinshed, “Henrie the fourth, cousine germane to Richard the second, latelie depriued”, in Chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande‎^[1], London: John Harison et al, page 523:

     […] the kings enimies were vanquished, and put to flight, in which flight, the earle of Dowglas, for hast, falling from the crag of an hie mounteine, brake one of his cullions, and was taken, and for his valiantnesse, of the king frankelie and freelie deliuered.

   • 1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “[Book XXVIII.] 15.”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Historie of the World. Commonly Called, The Naturall Historie of C. Plinius Secundus. […], (please specify |tome=1 or 2), London: […] Adam Islip, →OCLC, page 334:

     As touching the galls, which by ouermuch riding on horseback be incident to the twist and the inner parts of the thigh, as euery man knoweth full well, which do burne and chaufe the skin in those parts; the fomie slime which a horse yeeldeth, as well from his mouth as his cullions, is soueraigne therefore, if the place be annointed therwith.

2. (archaic, offensive) Synonym of asshole and/or bollocks, a mean, vile, or otherwise contemptable person.
   • c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]:

     Mistake no more; I am not Licio.
     Nor a musician as I seem to be;
     But one that scorn to live in this disguise
     For such a one as leaves a gentleman
     And makes a god of such a cullion.

   • 1594, Christopher Marlow[e], The Troublesome Raigne and Lamentable Death of Edward the Second, King of England: […], London: […] [Eliot’s Court Press] for Henry Bell, […], published 1622, →OCLC, (please specify the page):

     He weares a lords reuenewe on his back,
     And Midas like he iets it in the court,
     With base outlandish cullions at his heeles,

Derived terms

• cullionly