hempies

Noun

hempie (plural hempies)

1. (Northern England, Scotland, obsolete) A criminal; someone who deserves to be, or is likely to be, hanged.
2. (Northern England, Scotland, obsolete) A rogue.
   • 'Ha, ha, Patie lad!' quo Bessie Elliot, a free-spoken Liddesdale hempy, 'there's a wife com'd for ye the night, Patie lad.'1846, Moses Aaron Richardson, The Borderer's Table Book, volume 7, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne: Printed for the author, page 137

   Synonyms:

   troublemaker

3. (Northern England, Scotland, obsolete) A wild, romping girl.
   • “Ay, ay,” answered Rob, “she's under lawfu' authority now; and full time, for she was a daft hempie[…]”1817, Sir Walter Scott, Rob Roy

See all 5 meanings of hempie

Adjective

hempy (comparative more hempy, superlative most hempy)

1. Like hemp.
   • the rind and the Tree there is a Cotton, or hempy kind of Moss1655, James Howell, Epistolæ Ho-Elianæ. Familiar Letters Domestic and Forren. […], 3rd edition, volume (please specify the page), London: […] Humphrey Mos[e]ley, […], →OCLC