Brewer's: Unwashed

(2 syl.). It was Burke who first called the mob “the great unwashed,” but the term “unwashed” had been applied to them before, for Gay uses it.

The king of late drew forth his sword (Thank God, `twas not in wrath), And made, of many a squire and lord, An unwashed knight of Bath.

A Ballad on Quadrille.

Related Content Allusions Foreign Words and Phrases Latin and Greek Word Elements Names: Their Origins and Meanings Old Testament Names Mythology Ancient Greek Literature & Mythology The Bible (King James version) The Koran (translation by J. M. Rodwell) Shakespeare's Plays Tales from Shakespeare (Charles and Mary Lamb) Frequently Misspelled Words Frequently Mispronounced Words Easily Confused Words Writing & Language