I. ˈhȯid ə n noun
( -s )
Etymology: perhaps from obsolete Dutch heiden country lout, from Middle Dutch heidijn, heiden heathen, one that lives on a heath; akin to Old English hǣthen heathen — more at heathen
1. obsolete : a rude clownish youth
2. : a girl or woman of loud, boisterous, or carefree behavior : tomboy
dancing in public with a troop of country hoydens — Thomas Hardy
II. intransitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
: to act like a hoyden
III. adjective
of a girl : rude , ill-bred , roistering