girleen

English

Etymology

From girl +‎ -een.

Pronunciation

• (Ireland) IPA^(key): /ɡəɹˈliːn/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈɡəːliːn/, /ɡəːˈliːn/

Noun

girleen (plural girleens)

1. (Ireland) A young woman, a girl. [from 19th c.]
   • 2013, Eimear McBride, A Girl is a Half-formed Thing, Faber & Faber, published 2014, page 67:

     They see us shout girleens, girleens! Decide they're coming down to sit by us in our hidey hole.

See also

• maneen

Anagrams

• leering, reeling