\Blue"stock`ing\, n.
1. A literary lady; a female pedant. [Colloq.]
Note: As explained in Boswell's ``Life of Dr. Johnson'', this
      term is derived from the name given to certain meetings
      held by ladies, in Johnson's time, for conversation
      with distinguished literary men. An eminent attendant
      of these assemblies was a Mr. Stillingfleet, who always
      wore blue stockings. He was so much distinguished for
      his conversational powers that his absence at any time
      was felt to be a great loss, so that the remark became
      common, ``We can do nothing without the blue
      stockings.'' Hence these meetings were sportively
      called bluestocking clubs, and the ladies who attended
      them, bluestockings.
2. (Zo["o]l.) The American avocet ({Recurvirostra
   Americana}).