Villainy
Villainy , noun
[Old English vilanie, Old French vilanie, vilainie, vileinie, vilanie, Late Latin villania. See Villain, n.]
1.
The quality or state of being a villain, or villainous; extreme depravity; atrocious wickedness; as, the villainy of the seducer.
Lucre of vilanye.
The commendation is not in his wit, but in his villainy.
2.
Abusive, reproachful language; discourteous speech; foul talk. [Archaic]
He never yet not vileinye ne said
In all his life, unto no manner wight.
In our modern language, it [foul language] is termed villainy, as being proper for rustic boors, or men of coarsest education and employment.
Villainy till a very late day expressed words foul and disgraceful to the utterer much oftener than deeds.
3.
The act of a villain; a deed of deep depravity; a crime.
Such villainies roused Horace into wrath.
That execrable sum of all villainies commonly called a slave trade.