Emily Dickinson Lexicon

TER'MA-GANT, n.

A boisterous, brawling, turbulent woman. It seems in Shakspeare to have been used of men. In ancient farces and puppet-shows, termagant was a vociferous, tumultuous deity. She threw his periwig into the fire. Well, said he, thou art a brave termagant. Tatler. The sprites of fiery termagants in flame. Pope.