bluestocking
/ˈbluːˌstɒkɪŋ/
noun
Origin
English
blue + stocking — Refers to the informal dress style of Benjamin Stillingfleet at intellectual gatherings.
Overview
Meaning Now
- A woman noted for her literary or intellectual ability and interests.
Literal older meaning
A woman who wore blue worsted stockings instead of the formal black silk stockings common in 18th-century social settings.
Language path
English
Earliest form
blue-stocking
Earliest period
18th century
Journey
The term originated from the Blue Stocking Society, a literary group in mid-18th-century London. The name supposedly arose when Benjamin Stillingfleet, a member who could not afford or chose not to wear the formal black silk stockings required for polite evening society, attended in his everyday blue worsted stockings. The name was eventually applied to the intellectual women who dominated the gatherings.
Evolution
- 1750s
Blue-stocking
“Descriptor for Benjamin Stillingfleet, an intellectual who wore casual blue worsted stockings.”
Initially applied to men in intellectual circles.
- Late 18th century
Bluestocking
“Intellectual or literary women participating in salons.”
Transferred from men to the female members of the Blue Stocking Society.
Connections
Word parts
blue
root
colour
stocking
root
garment for the foot and leg
Explore next
Related to bluestocking
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.