• IRACUND
adj. 1821 – inclined to wrath; prone to anger; passionate, irascible, irritable
• IRACUNDULOUS
adj. 1765 – inclined to anger, easily angered, irritable; irascible
• IRASCENT
adj. 1794-6 – becoming angry, leading to anger
• IRE
adj. 1892 Eng. dial. – made of iron
n. 1. 1777 Eng. dial. – iron
n. 2. 1825 Eng. dial. – an onion
n. 3. 1898 Sc. – a passion, a fit of wrath
• I RECKON!
int. 1966 Amer. dial. – an exclamation of strong agreement
• IREFUL
adj. Bk1902 Eng. dial. – angry; stormy; inflamed
• IRE-GEAR
n. 1825 Eng. dial. – ironwork; ironware
• IRELANDISH
adj. 1924 Amer. dial. – Irish; of Irish background and manners
• IRE-MONGER
n. Bk1902 Eng. dial. – an ironmonger
• IRENIC
adj. 1878 rare – tending to or productive of peace
• IREPI
n. 1905 Sc. – a jocular name for a very small person or child; a diminutive person
• IRE-STUFF
n. Bk1902 Eng. dial. – ironwork
• IREY; IRIE
adj. 1733 Sc. obs. – melancholy, gloomy; causing fear
• IRIS
n. 20C Brit. sl. – an innocent and naive youth; a young homosexual
• IRISH
adj. 1. Bk2002 Aust. sl. – containing an inherent contradiction
adj. 2. Bk2009 sl. – drunk
n. 1. 1719 obs. exc. hist. – an Irishman
n. 2. 1893 colloq. – Irish whisky
n. 3. Bk1902 Eng. & Amer. dial. – passion, anger, rage, fury, temper
n. 4. 1983 rhyming sl. (Irish Jig) – a wig
• IRISH AMBULANCE
n. L18 sl. – a wheelbarrow
• IRISH-APPLE
n. L18 sl. – a potato
• IRISH APPLESAUCE
n. 1960s US sl. – mashed potatoes
• IRISH-APRICOT
n. L18 sl. – a potato
• IRISH ARMS
n. 20C sl. – thick legs
• IRISH AS MICKEY’S MOTHER
adj. 1965 Amer. dial. – full-blooded Irish
• IRISH AS PADDY MURPHY’S PIG
adj. L19 sl. – quintessentially Irish
• IRISH AS PADDY’S PIG(S)
adj. 1974 NZ & Aust. sl. – fully and obviously Irish
• IRISH AS PATRICK MURPHY’S PIG
adj. L19 sl. – quintessentially Irish
• IRISH-ASSURANCE
n. Bk1896 sl. – bold forward behaviour; shamelessness
• IRISH BABY BUGGY
n. 1910s US sl. – a wheelbarrow
• IRISH BABY CARRIAGE
n. 1966 Amer. dial. – a wheelbarrow
• IRISH BANJO
n. 20C sl. – a spade, a shovel
• IRISH-BEAUTY
n. Bk1896 sl. – a woman with two black eyes
• IRISH BOUQUET
n. 1960s US sl. – any form of projectile, usually a stone or brick
• IRISH BRAWL
n. 1965 Amer. dial. – a brawl; a fist fight with several people in it
• IRISH BUGGIE; IRISH BUGGY
n. 1929 Amer. dial. – a wheelbarrow
• IRISH BULL
n. Bk1942 Amer. sl. – a verbal blunder
• IRISH BUTTON
n. 20C sl. (possibly an error for ‘Irish mutton’) – a syphilitic bubo
• IRISH BY BIRTH BUT GREEK BY INJECTION
n. 1960s sl. – a male homosexual
• IRISH CABBAGE
n. 1960s US sl. – the traditional St. Patrick’s Day meal of corned (salt) beef, cabbage and Irish potatoes
• IRISH CAVIAR
n. 1930s US sl. – Irish stew
• IRISH CHANNEL
n. 1900s sl. – the throat
• IRISH CHARIOT
n. 1900s US sl. – a wheelbarrow
• IRISH CHEESE
n. 1941 Amer. dial. – cottage cheese
• IRISH CHERRY
n. 1930s US sl. – a carrot
• IRISH CHICKEN
n. 1920s US sl. – pork
• IRISH CLUBHOUSE
n. 1. 1904 US sl. – a police station
n. 2. 1960s US homosexual sl. – a refined house of prostitution
• IRISH COAT OF ARMS
n. 1. M18 sl. – a black eye
n. 2. E19 US sl. – two black eyes and a bleeding nose
• IRISH COCKTAIL
n. 1980s US sl. – a drink containing a substance that causes unconsciousness
• IRISH COMICS
n. 20C sl. – the obituary columns in a newspaper
• IRISH COMPLIMENT
n. M19 sl. – a back-handed compliment
• IRISH CONFETTI
n. 1. M19 sl. – stones, bricks, etc., esp. as thrown during a fight or riots
n. 2. Bk1998 NZ sl. – gravel
n. 3. 20C homosexual sl. – semen spilled extravagantly
• IRISH CURTAIN
n. 1935 Aust. sl. – a cobweb
• IRISH DAISY
n. 1900 Eng. & Amer. dial. – a dandelion
• IRISH DIP
n. 1960s homosexual sl. – sexual intercourse
• IRISH DIVIDEND
n. 1. 1867 US sl. – a non-existent or fictitious profit, a deficit, a stock assessment
n. 2. 1925 US criminals’ sl. – a extortion by the police
• IRISH DRAPERIES
n. L19 sl. – cobwebs
• IRISHER
n. 1807 Eng. & Amer. dial. – an Irishman; a person who is Irish or of Irish descent
• IRISHES
n. 1650 Sc. obs. – Irishmen
• IRISH-EVIDENCE
n. 1. Bk1785 sl. – a false witness
n. 2. 1960s homosexual sl. – pendulous breasts
• IRISH FAIR
n. 1965 Amer. dial. – a brawl; a fist fight with several people in it
• IRISH FAN
n. 1920s US sl. – a spade, a shovel
• IRISH FAVOURITE
n. 1920s US sl. – an emerald
• IRISH FIGHT
n. 1965 Amer. dial. – a brawl; a fist fight with several people in it
• IRISH FLAG
n. 20C US sl. – a diaper, a nappy
• IRISH FOOTBALL
n. 1970s US sl. – a potato
• IRISH FORTUNE
n. 19C sl. – the vagina
• IRISH FUNNIES
n. 20C sl. – the obituary columns in a newspaper
• IRISH GOOSE
n. M19 US sl. – cooked codfish
• IRISH GRAPE
n. 1940s US sl. – a potato
• IRISH HINT
n. 1769 Amer. dial. – a very broad hint
• IRISH HURRICANE
n. 1945 Amer. dial. – a dead calm, esp. among sailors
• IRISH JIG
n. 1983 rhyming sl. – a wig
• IRISH KARATE
n. 1990s Aust. sl. – the use of a shotgun
• IRISH KING
n. 1960 NZ sl. – something one needs
• IRISH KIRBY
n. 20C rhyming sl. – a derby hat
• IRISH KISS
n. 20C US sl. – a slap in the face
• IRISH LACE
n. 1950 Amer. dial. – cobwebs
• IRISH LASSES
n. L19 US rhyming sl. for ‘glasses’ – spectacles
• IRISH-LEGS
n. Bk1896 sl. – thick legs
• IRISH-LEMON
n. Bk1896 sl. – a potato
• IRISH LOCAL
n. 1. 1900s sl. – a railway hand-car, propelled by pushing a handle backwards and forwards
n. 2. 1930s US sl. – a wheelbarrow
• IRISHMAN
n. 1930 Amer. dial. – a white potato
• THE IRISHMAN
n. 1938 UK criminals’ sl. – a species of the confidence trick
• IRISH MAN-O’-WAR
n. 1949 Amer. dial. – a wheelbarrow
• IRISHMAN’S AUTOMOBILE
n. 1966 Amer. dial. – a wheelbarrow
• IRISHMAN’S BUGGY
n. 1939 Amer. dial. – a wheelbarrow
• IRISHMAN’S CAR
n. 1966 Amer. dial. – a wheelbarrow
• IRISHMAN’S CART
n. 1966 Amer. dial. – a wheelbarrow
• IRISHMAN’S COAT OF ARMS
n. 1. M18 sl. – a black eye
n. 2. E19 US sl. – two black eyes and a bleeding nose
• IRISHMAN’S-DINNER
n. Bk1896 sl. – a fast
• IRISHMAN’S HARVEST
n. 19C sl. – the orange season
• IRISHMAN’S-HURRICANE
n. Bk1896 nautical sl. – a dead calm
• IRISHMAN’S POCKET
n. 20C US sl. – a pocket that is both large and empty
• IRISHMAN’S POTATO
n. 1908 Amer. dial. – a white potato
• IRISHMAN’S REST
n. L19 sl. – mounting a ladder carrying a hod of bricks
• IRISHMAN’S RISE
n. 1889 sl. – a reduction in pay
• IRISHMAN’S SIDEWALK
n. 1907 Amer. dial. – the street; the centre of the street
• IRISHMAN’S TURKEY
n. 1966 Amer. dial. – corned beef, often with cabbage
• IRISH MIKE
n. 20C rhyming sl. for ‘bike’ – a bicycle
• IRISH MUTTON
n. E20 US sl. – syphilis
• IRISH NIGHTINGALE
n. 1901 Amer. dial. – a bullfrog
• IRISH NOSE
n. 1966 Amer. dial. – a turned-up nose
• IRISH PASTURE
n. 1931 US sl. – a faint, a coma
• IRISH PENDANT
n. 1840 Amer. dial. – a loose or frayed end; something that hangs loose or flaps untidily; ragged edges
• IRISH PENNANT
n. 1942 Amer. dial. – a loose or frayed end; something that hangs loose or flaps untidily; ragged edges
• IRISH PLUGGY
n. 1937 Amer. dial. – a wheelbarrow
• IRISH PLUM
n. 1941 jocular Amer. dial. – an onion
• IRISH POTATO
n. 1685 Amer. dial. – a white potato
• IRISH-PROMOTION
n. Bk1896 sl. – a reduction in position or pay
• IRISH-RIFLE
n. Bk1896 sl. – a small tooth comb
• IRISH-RISE
n. Bk1896 sl. – a reduction in position or pay
• IRISH-ROOT
n. Bk1896 sl. – the penis
• IRISH SHAVE
vb. E20 US colloq. – to defecate
• IRISH SNUB
n. 1966 Amer. dial. – a turned-up nose
• IRISH SPOON
n. 1862 Amer. dial. – a shovel
• IRISH TEA
n. 1967 Amer. dial. – a drink made of tea laced with whisky
• IRISH THEATRE
n. 1. Bk1891 sl. – a prison
n. 2. Bk1896 military sl. – a guard room or lock-up in barracks
• IRISH-TOOTHACHE
n. 1. 19C Brit. colloq. – an erection
n. 2. L19 Brit. sl. – a pregnancy
• IRISH TOYLE
n. 1562 UK criminals’ sl. – a travelling vagabond who posed as a seller of haberdashery in order to commit robberies as he moved from town to town; usually plural
• IRISH TRICK
n. 1966 Amer. dial. – a dirty trick
• IRISH TURKEY
n. 1926 Amer. dial. – corned beef, often with cabbage
• IRISH TWIN
n. 1966 Amer. dial. – one of two siblings born within a year of each other
• IRISH WAGON
n. 1966 Amer. dial. – a wheelbarrow
• IRISH WHISPER
n. 1985 Amer. dial. – a saying something aloud when whispering would have been more appropriate, as a secret
• IRISH-WHIST
n. 19C Brit. sl. – copulation where ‘the jack takes the ace’
• IRISH-WHIST WHERE THE JACK TAKES THE ACE
n. Bk1896 sl. – copulation
• IRK
adj. Bk1997 Amer. dial. – weary
n. 1. 1796 Sc. – weariness; pain
n. 2. 1925 Brit. sl. – a naval rating
n. 3. 1928 Royal Air Force sl. – someone of lowest rank, an aircraftman
n. 4. 1959 Brit. sl. – an unpleasant or despicable person, usually male
• IRKER
n. Bk1902 Eng. dial. – a finishing stroke
• IRKING
adj. 1898 Sc. – irritating, troublesome
• IRM
vb. Bk1902 Sc. – to whine, to complain; to question querulously and continuously
• IRON
n. 1. 1785 sl. – money
n. 2. 1836 sl. – a pistol
n. 3. 1859 US sl. – courage
n. 4. 1873 Eng. dial. – a horseshoe
n. 5. 1893 Sc. – a sword
n. 6. 1906 Amer. dial. – a dollar, esp. a silver dollar
n. 7. 1924 Amer. dial. – pots and pans
n. 8. 1935 US sl. – an obsolete automobile, a car past its usefulness
n. 9. 1936 Brit. rhyming sl. for ‘poof’ (Iron Hoof), derogatory – a homosexual male; a male prostitute
n. 10. 1941 sl. – a jemmy used in housebreaking
vb. 1. 1823 sl. – to flatter
vb. 2. 1953 Aust. sl. – to attack or fight a person, to flatten him
• THE IRON
n. Bk1942 Amer. sl. – railway tracks
• IRONBARK
adj. 1888 sl. – strong; hard; unyielding
• IRON BENDER
n. 1. 1958 Amer. dial. – amongst loggers: a camp blacksmith
n. 2. 1958 Amer. dial. – amongst railroad workers and loggers: a railroad brakeman
• IRON BOAT
n. 1925 US sl. – a locomotive
• IRON-BOUND
n. Bk1896 sl. – a hard-baked pie
• IRON BURNER
n. 1938 Amer. dial. – amongst loggers: a camp blacksmith
• IRONCLAD
adj. 1888 sl. – strong; hard; unyielding
n. 1. Bk1896 sl. – a severely chaste girl, popular play, song, etc.
n. 2. Bk1896 sl. – an iron-cased watch
• IRON DISHCLOTH
n. 1967 Amer. dial. – a metal scouring pad (of interlocking metal rings) used to scour pots
• IRON DISHRAG
n. 1955 Amer. dial. – a metal scouring pad (of interlocking metal rings) used to scour pots
• IRON DOG
n. 1960 Alaska usage – a snowmobile
• IRON DOLLAR
n. 1909 Amer. dial. – a silver dollar
• IRON DOUBLET
n. 1. 1698 UK obs. sl. – a prison
n. 2. Bk1896 American thieves’ sl. – innocence
• IRONED
adj. 1929 US police sl. – in handcuffs
• IRONED OUT
adj. 1. Bk1998 NZ sl. – exhausted or knocked senseless by fists or booze
adj. 2. Bk2009 sl. – drunk
• IRONEN
adj. Bk1902 Eng. dial. – made of iron
• IRON-FACE
adj. Bk1892 Chinese Pidgin – stern, obdurate, cruel, severe
• IRON-FISTED
adj. 1826 – close-fisted, niggardly, covetous, miserly, stingy, mean
• IRON FROG
n. 1925 US sl. – a turtle
• AN IRON HAND IN A VELVET GLOVE
n. 1834 – rigid firmness accompanied by courtesy, politeness, and gentleness
• IRON HARNESS
n. Bk1942 Amer. sl. – railway tracks
• IRONHEAD
n. 20C sl. – a stupid oaf, a fool
• IRON HOOF
n. 1936 rhyming sl. for ‘poof’, derogatory – a male homosexual
• IRON-HORSE
n. 1. 1875 sl. – a tricycle or bicycle
n. 2. Bk1896 sl. – a locomotive
n. 3. Bk1942 Amer. sl. – a motorcycle
• IRON HOUSE
n. 1927 US criminals’ sl. – a prison; a jail
• IRON JAW
n. 1968 Amer. dial. – a prominent jaw
• IRON-JAWED
adj. 1883 Amer. dial. – having a very strong or prominent jaw
• IRON MAN
n. 1. 1908 Amer. dial. – a dollar, esp. a silver dollar
n. 2. 1924 US criminals’ sl. – a coin, coin, cash, money; loot in the form of cash; usually plural
n. 3. 1933 Amer. dial. – the cowboy responsible for tending or handling the branding irons
n. 4. 1959 Brit. sl., orig. Aust. – a pound or a one-pound note
• IRON MIKE
n. 1926 sl. – the automatic steering device of a ship
• IRONMONGER
n. 1902 sl. – firearms collectively
• IRON ONESELF OUT
vb. Bk2002 Aust. sl. – to get drunk
• IRON OUT
vb. 1. 1933 US sl. – to kill by shooting
vb. 2. 1936 Amer. dial. – to ride a restive horse until it is calm enough to work
• IRON OUT THE HUMPS
vb. 1944 Amer. dial. – to ride a restive horse until it is calm enough to work
• IRON PARENTHESIS
n. 1811 UK sl. – a prison
• IRON-PLATED
adj. Bk2009 sl. – drunk
• IRON-PLATED POSSUM
n. 1960 Amer. dial. – an armadillo
• IRON-RATIONS
n. US Civil War usage – staples of hardtack, salt pork, and coffee
• IRON RUFFLES
n. 1776 US – handcuffs
• IRONS
n. 1. 1888 sl. – fetters
n. 2. 1893 Sc. – surgical instruments
n. 3. 1905 sl., chiefly services’ usage – eating utensils
n. 4. 1914 US tramps’ sl. – railroad rails
• IRON-SIDED
adj. Bk1902 Eng. dial. – hardy, rough, unmanageable; impudent, defiant
• IRON SPOONS AND WOODEN DISHES!
int. 1959 Amer. dial. – used as an expression of vexation or disappointment
• IRON TENDER
n. 1961 Amer. dial. – the cowboy responsible for tending or handling the branding irons
• IRON-TOOTHPICK
n. 1961 Amer. dial. – a sword
• IRON UNDIES
n. Bk1998 NZ sl. – any female garment adjudged difficult to penetrate or remove by coarse and frustrated males, includes shorts, tight, girdles, etc.
• IRON WHEEL
n. 1966 Amer. dial. – a dollar, esp. a silver dollar
• IRONWORKER
n. 1931 US criminals’ sl. – a specialist in robbing safes
• IRONY
adj. 1791 Sc. – hard or strong as iron
• IROQUOIS
n. 1968 Amer. dial. – a Mohawk haircut
• IROUS
adj. 1. a1300 obs. – wrathful, angry, enraged, raging
adj. 2. 1303 obs. – given to anger, hot-tempered, irascible
• IRP
n. 1958 Sc. – a peevish, complaining person
vb. 1892 Sc. – to be continually grumbling or complaining; to harp on about something
• IRPED
adj. 1922 Sc. – spiteful, cantankerous
• IRPIN’
adj. 1922 Sc. – grumbling, carping
• IRR
vb. 1711 Sc. – of dogs: to snarl, to growl
• IRRECURED
adj. 1598 obs. rare – incurable, beyond cure or remedy
• IRREFRAGABLE
adj. 1760 US – irrefutable
• IRRE-FUCKING-SPONSIBLE
adj. 20C sl. – extremely irresponsible
• IRREPOSCIBLE
adj. 1656 obs. rare – not to be required again
• IRREPRESSIBLES
n. 19C Brit. sl. – trousers
• IRRIDE
vb. 1637 obs. – to laugh at, to deride
• IRRIGATE
vb. 1708 sl. – to take a drink; to liquor up
• IRRIGATED
adj. 1708 sl. – intoxicated with alcohol
• IRRIGATED THE ULCERS
adj. Bk2009 sl. – drunk
• IRRIGATE ONE’S CANAL
vb. Bk1896 sl. – to take a drink
• IRRIGATE THE ULCERS
vb. 1951 Amer. dial. – to take a drink of liquor; to drink to excess
• IRRIGATION
n. 1856 Amer. dial. – the provision or consumption of alcoholic beverages
• IRRISORY
adj. 1824 rare – having the character of deriding or mocking; addicted to laughing or sneering at others
• IRRITATORY
adj. a1656 rare – causing irritation; irritating
• IRRITS
n. Bk2002 Aust. sl. – a feeling of annoyance or irritation
• IRROBORATE
vb. 1623 obs. rare – to make strong, to strengthen
• IRRUENT
adj. 1656 obs. rare – running hastily, or rushing in violently
• IRRUMATION
n. 20C – penilingus
• IRY
n. Bk1902 Eng. dial. – passion, anger, rage, fury
Back to INDEX I
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Updated: February 26, 2023
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