blackguard
noun
[ ˈblaɡɑːd ]
• a man who behaves in a dishonourable or contemptible way.
blackguard
verb
• abuse or disparage (someone) scurrilously.
• "you know what sort she is, yet you blackguard me when I tell the truth about her"
Origin:
early 16th century (originally as two words): from black + guard. The term originally denoted a body of attendants or servants, especially the menials who had charge of kitchen utensils, but the exact significance of the epithet ‘black’ is uncertain. The sense ‘scoundrel, villain’ dates from the mid 18th century, and was formerly considered highly offensive.
