perter

Adjective

pert (comparative perter, superlative pertest)

1. Attractive.
2. Well-formed; shapely.
   • pert breasts
3. Lively; alert and cheerful; bright.
   • Goe Philoſtrate, / Stirre vp the Athenian youth to merriments, / Awake the peart and nimble ſpirit of mirth, / Turne melancholy foorth to funerals: […]c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, A Midsommer Nights Dreame. […] (First Quarto), London: […] [Richard Bradock] for Thomas Fisher, […], published 1600, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]
4. (archaic) Especially of children or social inferiors: cheeky, impertinent.
   • Says Mrs. Jervis, Pamela, don’t be pert to his Honour? You ſhould know your Diſtance; you ſee his Honour was only in Jeſt.1741, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter XVI”, in Pamela: Or, Virtue Rewarded. […], 3rd edition, volume I, London: […] C[harles] Rivington, […]; and J. Osborn, […], →OCLC, page 37

   Synonyms:

   audacious, bold, get wise, bold-faced, bold as brass, brassy, malapert, brazen, brazen-faced, cheeky

5. (obsolete) Open; evident; unhidden.
   • Some parled as perte · as prouyd well after, / And clappid more ffor þe coyne · þat þe kyng oweth hem / Thanne ffor comfforte of þe comyne […][15th century, “[Richard the Redeles.] Passus Quartus.”, in Walter W[illiam] Skeat, editor, The Vision of William Concerning Piers the Plowman, Dowel, Dobet, and Dobest, […]. Richard the Redeles, […]...
6. (obsolete) Clever.

See all 8 meanings of pert