Word
doxy
US/ˈdɑksi/
UK/dˈɒksi/
Countable noun
Definition
n. an old-fashioned word for a lover, especially someone you are not married to. It was once common in literature but sounds dated or playful today.
n. a lover or mistress, especially one kept outside marriage. Archaic in modern use; occasionally revived for ironic or literary effect.
Examples
“The novel's hero keeps a secret doxy in the city.”
“In Restoration comedies, a rake might boast of his doxy while his respectable fiancée remains unaware.”
“The poet's letters reveal that his 'doxy' was in fact a married woman of considerable social standing, making their liaison doubly dangerous.”
Examples
simple
“The novel's hero keeps a secret doxy in the city.”
contextual
“In Restoration comedies, a rake might boast of his doxy while his respectable fiancée remains unaware.”
complex
“The poet's letters reveal that his 'doxy' was in fact a married woman of considerable social standing, making their liaison doubly dangerous.”
Etymology
From Middle Dutch doketje, a diminutive of docke meaning "a doll", itself from Proto-Germanic dokko ("something round"), related to dukkǭ ("muscle, strength"). The term has cognates in Low German dokke ("doll") and Saterland Frisian dok, dokke ("a doll"), as well as Swedish docka ("doll, puppet").
From -doxy in orthodoxy, heterodoxy, etc.
Clipping. From deoxy-.
Clipping of dachshund + -y.
Coined by J.K. Rowling in the Harry Potter series as the name of a species of biting fairy, possibly from the sense "mistress" or from doxycycline, the antibiotic used to treat diseases caused by insect bites. Likely influenced by pixie.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Idioms
01. arch doxy
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Rare
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
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