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You are here: Home / Language / Where does the word “Milksop” come from and What does Milksop mean?

Where does the word “Milksop” come from and What does Milksop mean?

May 22, 2020 by Karen Hill

Perhaps it’s too obvious.

The word milksop means: just an infant, or one of infant-like caliber, who sops up milk; hence, one unfit by temperament for conflict.

But of interest is the fact that this term for one lacking in spirit is very old in our language.

It was used, not only by Chaucer, but a hundred years before his time.

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Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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