bretheling

B3R1E1T1H4E1L1I1N1G2

noun

Wretch; worthless person.

OriginMiddle English bretheling →
Scrabble 16
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Meanings

nounbretheling (plural brethelings)

plural brethelings · alternative obsolete bretherlynge · alternative obsolete brothelinge

  1. archaicWretch; worthless person.

    The palmer rod forth ase a king, And Beues wente alse a bretheling.

    1838, William Barclay Turnbull, Sir Beves of Hamtoun: A Metrical Romance, page 81
    3 more examples

    Ensured — what — what — do you play the bretheling in our house?

    1941, W. Marriott, Best One-Act Plays, page 190

    Marck was relieved last month, lordling, and that bretheling Count of St Pol given such a buffet as he will not speedily forget.

    1975, Georgette Heyer, My Lord John, page 380

    Liefer would we your fellowship seek than that of this malapert, cautelous bretheling!

    2011, Arthur D Bardswell, The Poor Preachers: The Adventures of the First Lollards, page 207

Origin

  1. Middle Englishbretheling
  2. Englishbretheling

From Middle English bretheling, equivalent to brethel (“worthless fellow, wretch”) + -ing.

More words from Middle English

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

bretheling. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bretheling

MLA

“bretheling.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bretheling. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bretheling,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bretheling.

Source: bretheling on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.