soiled dove
1
9.9
- noun
- Slur
- In the novel, the soiled dove was a tragic character with a troubled past.
Examples
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In the small town, gossip swirled around the newcomer who many believed was a soiled dove due to her past.
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Rumors spread quickly in the small town when a soiled dove arrived from the city.
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The museum's exhibition includes artifacts from the era of the soiled dove.
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The novelist portrayed the struggles of a soiled dove in Victorian society.
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The town whispered about the soiled dove who had arrived from the city.
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As soon as she entered the saloon, everyone knew she was a soiled dove based on her dress and demeanor.
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The story unfolded as the local men discussed their encounters with the soiled dove who frequented the bar.
Synonyms
569
9.3
An offensive word for a person who has sex for money
28
9.9
A woman who sells sex for money
2
9.2
A woman who sells sex for money
1
9.0
A woman who people think badly of because of her sex life
1
9.9
A woman who works as a prostitute
Surface Forms
Morphology
The constituents 'soiled' (dirty) and 'dove' (a bird often symbolizing innocence) yield a metaphorical image of a once-pure person whose purity has been stained, so a learner could infer a meaning like 'a woman whose reputation is tarnished'. However, the specific archaic sense 'prostitute' and the cultural metaphorical mapping (dove → innocence, soiled → morally tainted) are not fully predictable for a B1 learner without exposure, so the expression is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Soiled dove paints a clear picture: the dove is a pure bird and soiled means dirty, so long ago people used it for a woman who had lost her good name, often 'a prostitute'.