Brewer's: Tomboy

A romping girl, formerly used for a harlot. (Saxon, tumbere, a dancer or romper; Danish, tumle, “to tumble about;” French, tomber; Spanish, tumbar; our tumble.) The word may either be tumbe-boy (one who romps like a boy), or a tumber (one who romps), the word boy being a corruption.

A lady So fair ... to be partner With tomboys.

Shakespeare. Cymbelins, i. 6.

Halliwell gives the following quotation:

“Herodias dougter that was a tumb-estre, and tumblete before [the king] and other grete lordes of the contré, he granted to geve hure whatevere she would bydde.”

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