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Examples
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And therefore if a man have a lean and straight face, a Marquess Otton's cut will make it broad and large; if it be platter-like, a long, slender beard will make it seem the narrower; if he be weasel-becked, then much hair left on the cheeks will make the owner look big like a bowdled hen, and as grim as a goose, if Cornells of Chelmersford say true.
Chronicle and Romance (The Harvard Classics Series) Thomas Malory Jean Froissart
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And therefore if a man have a lean and straight face, a Marquess Ottons cut will make it broad and large; if it be platter-like, a long, slender beard will make it seem the narrower; if he be weasel-becked, then much hair left on the cheeks will make the owner look big like a bowdled hen, and as grim as a goose, if Cornelis of Chelmersford say true.
Of Our Apparel and Attire. Chapter VII. [1577, Book III., Chapter 2; 1587, Book II., Chapter 7 1909
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a man have a lean face, the Marquis Otto's cut makes it broad; if it be platterlike, the long, slender beard makes it seem narrow; "if he be weasel-beaked, then much hair left on the cheeks will make the owner look big like a bowdled hen, and so grim as a goose."
The Complete Project Gutenberg Writings of Charles Dudley Warner Charles Dudley Warner 1864
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a man have a lean face, the Marquis Otto's cut makes it broad; if it be platterlike, the long, slender beard makes it seem narrow; "if he be weasel-beaked, then much hair left on the cheeks will make the owner look big like a bowdled hen, and so grim as a goose."
For Whom Shakespeare Wrote Charles Dudley Warner 1864
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a man have a lean face, the Marquis Otto's cut makes it broad; if it be platterlike, the long, slender beard makes it seem narrow; "if he be weasel-beaked, then much hair left on the cheeks will make the owner look big like a bowdled hen, and so grim as a goose."
Complete Essays Charles Dudley Warner 1864
she commented on the word bowdled
Obs. ppl. adj., Having the feathers ruffled; swelled out (origin obscure).
"Much heare left on the cheekes will make the owner looke big like a bowdled hen." – W. Harrison, Description of England (1587)
August 12, 2008