dowdy

Late 16th century. Origin uncertain: probably literally “little poorly dressed woman,” formed from doue, “poorly dressed woman.”

Possibly also related to the Scots dow, meaning to "fade".

• (UK, US) enPR: dou'dē, IPA^(key): /ˈdaʊdi/

• Audio (Southern England)

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• Rhymes: -aʊdi

dowdy (comparative dowdier, superlative dowdiest)

1. Plain and unfashionable in style or dress.
2. Lacking stylishness or neatness; shabby.
   • 1891, Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray, London, New York, N.Y., Melbourne, Vic.: Ward Lock & Co., →OCLC:

     [...she was] a perfect saint amongst women, but so dreadfully dowdy that she reminded one of a badly bound hymn-book.

dowdy (plural dowdies)

1. A plain or shabby person.
   • 1877, Truth, volume 1, page 615:

     Besides these, however, and the determined dowdies, women who either do not understand dress, or who will not be troubled with it, there are certainly many who, while always anxious to appear to the best advantage, are not wealthy enough to do so […]

   • 1895, Oscar Wilde, An Ideal Husband:

     The men are all dowdies and the women are all dandies, aren't they?

dowdy (third-person singular simple present dowdies, present participle dowdying, simple past and past participle dowdied)

1. (cooking, transitive) To press the crust into the filling during baking, to allow the juices to caramelize on top.
   • 2021, America's Test Kitchen, The Complete Cook’s Country TV Show Cookbook, page 743:

     Topping the apples with squares of dough allowed steam to escape during baking, preventing the apples from overcooking. Dowdying the crust partway through created the dessert's sweet finish.

• dowdy up
• figgy-dowdy