French for “sorry cow.”
Fed solely on virtuous wives. The counterpart to Bicorn, who ate good men and was therefore never hungry, ha ha very funny.

“O noble wyvës, full of heigh prudence,
Let noon humilitie your tongës nayle,
Ne lat no clerk have cause or diligence
To write of you a story of such mervayle
As of Griseldes, pacient and kynde,
Lest Chichi-vache you swolwe in hir entraile.”

Chaucer: L'Envoye de Chaucer, v. 9064.

Chiche"vache` (?), n. [F. chiche lean + vache cow.]

A fabulous cow of enormous size, whose food was patient wives, and which was therefore in very lean condition.

 

© Webster 1913.

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