Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A gossip; a friend or an acquaintance.
  • noun Any woman; specifically, a girl or young woman.
  • noun A midwife.
  • noun A witch.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Scotland the relationship of a godmother to the other god-parents, and the legal parents, of a child.
  • noun Scotland a female companion or intimate (of another woman)
  • noun Scotland lass, the feminine equivalent of "fellow"

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From French commère.

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Examples

  • “Ay, truly, cummer; and as poor Oliver often mistook friends for enemies while he was in life, his judgment cannot be thought to have mended now.”

    The Fair Maid of Perth 2008

  • “Did I know Kate Happer?” replied the widow; “as well as the beggar knows his dish — a canty quean was Kate, and a special cummer of my ain maybe twenty years syne.”

    The Monastery 2008

  • “Take back your beads, cummer; I know no legerdemain, can do no conjuring tricks,” said the mediciner, who, more moved than perhaps his rugged nature had anticipated, endeavoured to avoid receiving the ill omened gift.

    The Fair Maid of Perth 2008

  • The husband was set at liberty, and the gossip and his cummer were sent to the gallows.

    Italian Popular Tales Thomas Frederick Crane

  • The gossip and his cummer sinned against St. John.

    Italian Popular Tales Thomas Frederick Crane

  • Quene, to have drawin our brethren of Edinburgh and thame in cummer; swa that sche mycht have had ony cullorat occatioun to have brokin the liegue with thame.

    The Works of John Knox, Vol. 1 (of 6) John Knox

  • But yit he had devised to have cutt of such as he thought mycht cummer him; for he had appointed the haill gentilmen of Fyff to have mett him at Falkland, the Mononday after that he was slane upoun the

    The Works of John Knox, Vol. 1 (of 6) John Knox

  • "May be the Highland tyke is right, cummer, (said one o 'the red coats) and the fallow is jumpit thro' the bole, but harkye maister gudeman, an ye hae ony mair o 'your barns-breaking wi us, ye'se get a sark fu' o 'sair banes, that's a'."

    The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction Volume 10, No. 289, December 22, 1827 Various

  • Now the gossip was very fond of his cummer, and used often to go and visit her.

    Italian Popular Tales Thomas Frederick Crane

  • "_Gnursi, cummari_" ( "Certainly, cummer"), said her gossip; so off they went.

    Italian Popular Tales Thomas Frederick Crane

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