prude

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prude / proōd/ • n. a person who is or claims to be easily shocked by matters relating to sex or nudity.DERIVATIVES: prud·er·y / ˈproōdərē/ n.prud·ish adj.prud·ish·ly adv.prud·ish·ness n.ORIGIN: early 18th cent.: from French, back-formation from prudefemme, feminine of prud'homme ‘good man and true,’ from prou ‘worthy.’