A woman of extraordinary stature, strength, and courage; a woman who has the robust body and masculine mind of a man; a female warrior. [1913 Webster]
"To arms! to arms! the fierce virago cries." [1913 Webster]
Hence, a mannish woman; a bold, turbulent woman; a termagant; a vixen. [1913 Webster]
"Virago . . . serpent under femininity." [1913 Webster]

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OXFORD DICTIONARY

virago, n. (pl. -os)
1 a fierce or abusive woman.
2 archaic a woman of masculine strength or spirit.

Etymology

OE f. L, = female warrior, f. vir man

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THESAURUS

virago

Jezebel, Mafioso, Xanthippe, Young Turk, amazon, androgyne, battle-ax, beast, beldam, berserk, berserker, bitch, bitch-kitty, bomber, brute, butch, cat, common scold, demon, devil, dragon, dyke, fiend, fire-eater, firebrand, fishwife, fury, goon, gorilla, grimalkin, gunsel, hag, hardnose, harpy, hell-raiser, hellcat, hellhag, hellhound, hellion, holy terror, hood, hoodlum, hothead, hotspur, hoyden, incendiary, killer, lesbian, mad dog, madcap, monster, mugger, ogress, rapist, revolutionary, romp, savage, scold, she-devil, she-wolf, shrew, siren, spitfire, termagant, terror, terrorist, tiger, tigress, tomboy, tough, tough guy, ugly customer, violent, vixen, wild beast, wildcat, witch, wolf

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ROGET THESAURUS

virago

Irascibility

N irascibility, irascibleness, temper, crossness, susceptibility, procacity, petulance, irritability, tartness, acerbity, protervity, pugnacity, excitability, bad temper, fiery temper, crooked temper, irritable, temper, genus irritabile, hot blood, ill humor, asperity, churlishness, huff, a word and a blow, Sir Fretful Plagiary, brabbler, Tartar, shrew, vixen, virago, termagant, dragon, scold, Xantippe, porcupine, spitfire, fire eater, fury, irascible, bad-tempered, ill-tempered, irritable, susceptible, excitable, thin-skinned, fretful, fidgety, on the fret, hasty, overhasty, quick, warm, hot, testy, touchy, techy, tetchy, like touchwood, like tinder, huffy, pettish, petulant, waspish, snappish, peppery, fiery, passionate, choleric, shrewish, sudden and quick in quarrel, querulous, captious, moodish, quarrelsome, contentious, disputatious, pugnacious, cantankerous, exceptious, restiff, churlish, cross, cross as crabs, cross as two sticks, cross as a cat, cross as a dog, cross as the tongs, fractious, peevish, acari=atre, in a bad temper, sulky, angry, resentful, resentive, vindictive, Int, pish!, a vieux comptes nouvelles disputes, quamvis tegatur proditur vultu furor, vino tortus et ira.

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