quaint
Etymology 1
From Middle English queynte, quoynte, from Anglo-Norman cointe, queinte and Old French cointe (“pretty, clever, knowing”), from Latin cognitus, past participle of cognōscō (“I know”).
adj
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(obsolete) Of a person: cunning, crafty. -
(obsolete) Cleverly made; artfully contrived. -
(now dialectal) Strange or odd; unusual. What none would dispute though many smiled over was the good-humored, necessary, yet quaint omission of the writer's name from the whole consideration. 17 Nov 1924, Time -
(obsolete) Overly discriminating or needlessly meticulous; fastidious; prim. -
Pleasingly unusual; especially, having old-fashioned charm. The rock is a haven for rare wildlife, a landscape where pretty hedgerows and quaint villages are bordered by a breathtaking, craggy coastline. 31 Jan 2011, Ian Sample, The Guardian
Etymology 2
A variant of cunt (possibly as a pun).
noun
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(archaic) The vulva. The rest looked on, horrified, as Clarice trussed up her habit and in open view placed her hand within her queynte crying, ‘The first house of Sunday belongs to the sun, and the second to Venus.’ 2003, Peter Ackroyd, The Clerkenwell Tales, page 9
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