What does "lewd" mean?
Lewd: Belonging to the lower classes, or the rabble; idle and lawless; bad; vicious. [Archaic] Chaucer. But the Jews, which believed not, . . . took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, . . . and assaulted the house of Jason. Acts xvii.
Additional senses
- 2.Too lewd to work, and ready for any kind of mischief. Southey .
- 3.Given to the promiscuous indulgence of lust; dissolute; lustful; libidinous. Dryden.
- 4.Suiting, or proceeding from, lustfulness; involving unlawful sexual desire; as, lewd thoughts, conduct, or language. -- Lewd"ly, adv. -- Lewd"ness, n.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00 · Modified: 2026-07-17T00:00:00-07:00