biddy

/ˈbɪdi/

//ˈbɪdi// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"biddy" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“biddy” is uncommon English (frequency #59,900 among 4,121 “B” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#59,900
frequency rank, English
4,121
“B” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A woman, especially an old woman; especially one regarded as fussy or mean or a gossipy busybody.

Corpus desk

Index EN-biddy · biddy · English

biddy · rank #59,900 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #59,900
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 4,121
  • PHOTO-FINISH bigamy

Nearest frequency peer: bigamy (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “biddy”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “biddy” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for biddy
PropertyValue
Headwordbiddy
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈbɪdi/
Letters5
Frequency rank#59,900
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “biddy” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).biddyfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “bigamy” (#59,901), “Bhattacharya” (#59,898), “Billingsley” (#59,902). Among 4,121 “B” headwords, “biddy” is #59,900. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

biddy is uncommon English at frequency #59,900 among 4,121 “B” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈbɪdi/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for biddy in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: Derived from Biddy, diminutive form of Bridget. It became a generic name for an Irish maid (US), and then for an old woman. The correct English form is biddy, spelled B-I-D-D-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A woman, especially an old woman; especially one regarded as fussy or mean or a gossipy busybody.
  2. 2
    An attractive girl.
  3. 3
    An Irish maidservant.
  4. 4
    An Irishwoman.
  5. 5
    A name used in calling a hen or chicken, often as "biddy-biddy-biddy".

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how biddy appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. 1970-1975, Lou Sullivan, personal diary, quoted in 2019, Ellis Martin, Zach Ozma (editors), We Both Laughed In Pleasure That Mich drag Loretta sent me about 10 pictures of her so I wouldn't think her a "decrepit old lady." But too bad—she looked like someone's biddy aunt.
  2. After working a 65 hour week, men would spend their whole paycheck in saloons, drink the whole weekend, and ignore the needs of their families. The overwhelming participation of women in the [temperance] movement was prompted by motives of self preservation […] It is no accident that male historians have chosen to present these women as crazed biddies in…

Etymology

Derived from Biddy, diminutive form of Bridget. It became a generic name for an Irish maid (US), and then for an old woman.

This word in other languages

cotilla(Español)rombière(Français)alte Schachtel(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "biddy"?
"biddy" is spelled B-I-D-D-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈbɪdi/.
What does "biddy" mean?
As a noun, "biddy" means: A woman, especially an old woman; especially one regarded as fussy or mean or a gossipy busybody.
How do you pronounce "biddy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "biddy" is /ˈbɪdi/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "biddy"?
Derived from Biddy, diminutive form of Bridget. It became a generic name for an Irish maid (US), and then for an old woman. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "biddy", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Binks#59,903blare#59,905beget#59,888baste#59,881

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list