Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1600-1700
Origin: Probably from prig 'showy man' (17-19 centuries), perhaps from prig 'tinker, thief' (16-19 centuries)

prig

 noun
     
prig [countable]
someone who behaves in a morally good way and shows that they disapprove of the way other people behave - used to show disapproval:
Don't be such a prig! It's only a bit of harmless fun!
—priggish adjective:
a rather priggish, old-fashioned man
—priggishness noun [uncountable]
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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