virago

[ vi-rah-goh, -rey- ]
/ vɪˈrɑ goʊ, -ˈreɪ- /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR virago ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural vi·ra·goes, vi·ra·gos.

a loud-voiced, ill-tempered, scolding woman; shrew.
Archaic. a woman of strength or spirit.

Origin of virago

before 1000; Middle English, Old English < Latin virāgō, equivalent to vir man + -āgō suffix expressing association of some kind, here resemblance

Words nearby virago

vir chakra, vir-, vira saiva, viraemia, viraginity, virago, viral, viral antigen, viral dysentery, viral envelope, viral hemagglutination

Words related to virago

shrew, vixen, scold, harpy, termagant, beldame, amazon, fishwife

Example sentences from the Web for virago

British Dictionary definitions for virago

virago
/ (vɪˈrɑːɡəʊ) /

noun plural -goes or -gos

a loud, violent, and ill-tempered woman; scold; shrew
archaic a strong, brave, or warlike woman; amazon

Derived forms of virago

viraginous (vɪˈrædʒɪnəs), adjective virago-like, adjective

Word Origin for virago

Old English, from Latin: a manlike maiden, from vir a man