Dictionary: PED – PEM

► PED n. a professional runner, walker → 1863 sl.
► PEDAL-PUSHERS n. three-quarter length, i.e. calf-length, pants suitable for female sportswear → 1962 teen sl.
► PEDANTOCRACY n. rule or government by pedants; domination of society by pedants → 1991 (Bk.)
► PEDDLE ONE’S HIPS vb. to be a prostitute → 1920 sl.
► PEDDLE ONE’S PAPERS vb. to leave → 1965 Amer. dial.
► PEDDLER n. a local or slow freight train → 1926 Amer. railroading usage
► PEDDLERS n. light clogs → L19 Liverpool street arabs’ sl.
► PEDDLER’S FRENCH n. underworld slang → 1530
► PEDDLE-SNATCH n. 1. a prostitute, either male or female → M20 US sl.
n. 2. a catamite → M20 US sl.
► PEDDLE YOUR DUCKS SOMEWHERE ELSE! int. mind your own business → 1965 Amer. dial.
► PEDDLE YOUR OWN FISH! int. mind your own business → 1932 Amer. dial.
► PEDDLE YOUR OWN WAGON! int. mind your own business → 1966 Amer. dial.
► PEDERAST n. a sodomite → 1730
► PEDERASTY n. unnatural connection with a boy; sodomy → 1613
► PEDESTALS n. the feet → E18 sl.
► PEDESTRIAL adj. 1. going on foot, walking; performed on foot → 1611 obs.
adj. 2. of archery: performed with the bow drawn against the foot → 1792 obs.
adj. 3. dull, prosaic → 1941
► PEDESTRIANATE vb. to go or travel on foot; to walk → 1845 obs.
► PEDESTRIAN DIGITS n. the legs → 1890 schoolboys’ sl.
► PEDICULOPHOBIA n. an abnormal fear of lice → 1991 (Bk.)
► PEDIGREE n. 1. a criminal record → 1911 sl.
n. 2. biography → 1913 Amer. dial. (Bk.)
► PEDIGREED BULL n. nonsense → 1942 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► PEDIGREE-MAN n. a recidivist (a criminal who reoffends, esp. repeatedly) → 1923 cant
► PEDIONOMITE n. 1876 – one who lives on a plain; a dweller in a plain 
► PEDISSEQUOUS adj. following, attendant upon something → 1657 obs.
► PEDLAR’S FRENCH n. underworld slang → 1530 
► PEDLAR’S HORSE n. a walking-stick → 1780 colloq.
► PEDLAR’S NEWS n. stale news → 19C colloq.
► PEDLAR’S PACK n. dismissal → L20 rhyming slang on ‘sack’
► PEDLAR’S PAD n. a walking-stick → 1780 colloq.
► PEDLAR’S PONY n. a walking-stick → 1780 colloq.
► PEDLERS n. light clogs → L19 Liverpool street arabs’ sl.
► PEDOBAPTISM n. infant baptism → 1640
► PEDOCRACY n. government by children → 1647
► PEDOMANCY n. divination involving the study of the soles of the feet → 1991 (Bk.)
► PEDOPHILIA n. a sexual attraction to children → 1991 (Bk.)
► PEDOPHOBIA n. 1. an abnormal of children → 1991 (Bk.)
n. 2. an abnormal fear or dislike of dolls → 1991 (Bk.)
► PEE n. 1. urination → 19C sl., orig. mostly nursery
n. 2. money →  1903 sl. (Bk.)
n. 3. urine → 1961 sl.
vb. to make water; to urinate → 1788 colloq., esp. nursery usage
► PEE ANT n. a small ant → 1954 Amer. dial.
► PEE-DAB n. a small, usually cheap, playing marble → 1957 Amer. dial.
► PEE-DAD n. a small, usually cheap, playing marble → 1965 Amer. dial.
► PEEDEE FROG n. a tree frog → 1968 Amer. dial.
► PEE-DOODLE vb. to briefly lose control of one’s bladder, as by nerves, a sneeze, laughing, etc. → 2000 Amer. dial.
► THE PEEDOODLES n. the jitters, nervousness → 1995 Amer. dial.
► PEE-DOOKIE n. a small, usually cheap, playing marble → 1965 Amer. dial.
► PEE-EYE n. a prostitute’s bully; a pander; a procurer → 1920 UK sl.
► PEE-GEE n. a small, usually cheap, playing marble → 1965 Amer. dial.
► PEE-HEE vb. to ingratiate oneself with one’s superiors → 1939 sl.
► PEE-JIB n. a small, usually cheap, playing marble → 1965 Amer. dial.
► PEE-JINK n. a small, usually cheap, playing marble → 1965 Amer. dial.
► PEE-JINKER n. a small, usually cheap, playing marble → 1958 Amer. dial.
► THE PEEK n. the observation cell → M20 prisons’ sl.
► PEEK-A-BOO n. 1. a girl’s blouse with perforations → 1880 sl.
n. 2. any garment made from Swiss cotton → 1950 Aust. sl.
► PEEKO n. a glance; a quick look-about → 1910 sl.
► PEEKY adj. sickly, unwell, in poor health → 1877 Amer. dial.
► PEEL n. a policeman → 1920 Aust. sl.
vb. 1. to undress; often followed by ‘off’ → 1785 sl., orig. boxing sl.
vb. 2. to hurry; to run at full speed → 1819 Eng. dial.
vb. 3. to strike, to beat, to spank, to slap → 1935 Amer. dial.
vb. 4. to throw a rock, ball, or other object → 1997 Amer. dial.
► PEELED adj. naked; undressed; nude → 1820 colloq.
► PEELED EGG n. 1. a rich inheritance → 1721 Sc.
n. 2. a windfall → 1864 Sc.
► PEEL EGGS vb. to stand on ceremony; to behave in a formal way → 1860 sl.
► PEEL EGGS WITH ANYONE vb. not to stand on ceremony → 1871 Eng. dial.
► PEELER n. 1. a policeman; applied orig. to a member of the Irish constabulary → 1817 Brit. sl.
n. 2. something remarkable of its kind; a hard-working, energetic person → 1823 Amer. dial.
n. 3. one ready to strip for a fight → 1852 boxing sl.
n. 4. a ranch hand or cowboy; one who tames wild horses; a bronco-buster → 1894 Amer. dial.
n. 5. a rebuke → 1899 Amer. dial.
n. 6. a black eye → 1969 Amer. dial.
► PEELING n. 1. a beating, spanking → 1931 Amer. dial.
n. 2. the shell or hull of a nut; the pod of a legume → 1966 Amer. dial.
n. 3. a scolding → 1968 Amer. dial.
► THE PEELING OF AN ONION n. anything very light and easily blown away → 1815 Sc.
► PEEL IT vb. to go or leave rapidly; to depart hurriedly; to run fast → 1858 Amer. dial.
► PEELO n. a pilot → 1940 Royal Air Force sl.
► PEEL-OFF n. illicit removal of part of a common booty → 20C police & criminal sl.
 (verbs usually as ‘peel off’)
vb. 1. to take one’s clothes off, to undress → 1785 sl.
vb. 2. to give money → 1925 sl.
► PEEL ONE’S BEST END vb. to effect sexual intromission → 19C sl.
► PEEL OUT vb. to scold, to chide → 1968 Amer. dial.
► PEENICKER PAWNEE n. drinking water → M19  sl.
► PEE ONESELF LAUGHING vb. to laugh very heartily and/or long → 1910 sl.
► PEEP int. used as a call to chickens or turkeys → 1956 Amer. dial.
n. 1. a very small or young chicken or turkey → 1916 Amer. dial.
n. 2. a tree frog → 1939 Amer. dial.
n. 3. a word → 1945 sl.
n. 4. a young girl or woman; not necessarily uncomplimentary → 1968 Amer. dial.
vb. 1. to speak in a shrill, querulous, or whining voice; to complain → 1567 obs.
vb. 2. to sleep → L17 rhyming sl.
vb. 3. to betray an associate to the police or other authority; to inform on; to incriminate → 1911 sl.
► PEEPAW n. a grandfather; rarely, a father or stepfather → 1965 Amer. dial.
► PEE-PEE int. used as a call to chickens or turkeys → 1899 Amer. dial.
n. a very small or young chicken or turkey → 1890 Amer. dial.
► PEEPER n. 1. a looking-glass → 1670 sl.
n. 2. an eye → 1690 sl.
n. 3. a spy-glass → L18 cant
n. 4. a spectator, esp. at a prize-fight → 1825 UK sl.
n. 5. a tree frog → 1842 Amer. dial.
n. 6. a policeman (almost always plural) → L19 cant
n. 7. a black eye → 1967 Amer. dial.
► PEEPERS n. spectacles → 19C sl.
► PEEPERS IN MOURNING n. black eyes → 19C sl.
► PEEP-EYE n. the game of peekaboo → 1887 Amer. dial.
vb. to play peekaboo → 1986 Amer. dial.
► PEEP FREAK n. a voyeur → 1970 sl., orig. US
► PEEPIE int. used as a call to chickens or turkeys → 1967 Amer. dial.
n. a young girl or woman; not necessarily uncomplimentary → 1968 Amer. dial.
► PEEPING adj. drowsy, sleepy → M17 sl.
► PEEPING TOM n. 1. an inquisitive person → 1785 colloq.
n. 2. a pilot that is expert at flying in bad weather and at dodging from cloud to cloud → 1939 Royal Air Force sl.
► PEEP OF DAY n. dawn, sunrise → 1967 Amer. dial.
► PEE-POMP n. a seesaw → 1949 Amer. dial.
► PEEP-PEEP! int. used as a call to chickens or turkeys → 1967 Amer. dial.
► PEEPS n. family → 1998 African-American sl.
► PEEPY adj. 1. sleepy, drowsy→ 1699 colloq.
adj. 2. of the eyes: characterized by peeping; narrow → 1847 colloq.
n. (usually as ‘pee-pee’) a very small or young chicken or turkey → 1890 Amer. dial.
► PEERIE adj. sly → 17C sl.
► PEERIES n. feet → 20C sl.
► PEERIE-WEERIE-WINKIE adj. excessively small → 19C Sc.
► PEERY adj. 1. shy, timid, suspicious → 1670 sl.
adj. 2. sly → L17 sl.
adj. 3. inquisitive → 1810 sl.
► PEETEET n. a tree frog → 1968 Amer. dial.
► PEETY adj. cheerful → 18C cant
► PEEVE n. 1. drink; alcoholic liquor → 20C market-traders’ sl.
n. 2. peevishness → 1930 colloq.
vb. to disgruntle; to annoy; to infuriate; to complain, to sulk, to pout → 1908 colloq., orig. US
► PEEVED adj. annoyed, upset; cross → 1908 colloq.
► PEEVER n. a public house → 20C market-traders’ sl.
► PEE-WEE n. 1. either sexual organ → 19C nursery sl.
n. 2. a small, usually cheap, marble → 1848 Amer. dial.
n. 3. urination → 1907 sl., chiefly a children’s word or euphemism
n. 4. a young wild turkey chick, still following the hen → 1936 Amer. dial.
vb. 1. to make water → 19C nursery sl.
vb. 2. to eat without appetite, to trifle with one’s food → 1923 Sc.
► PEE-WEEZY n. a little dried-up or shrivelled person → 1952 Amer. dial.
► PEE-WILLY n. an effeminate male → 1925 Can. sl.
► PEEZALTREE adj. inferior; uncultured; unsatisfactory → 1953 Amer. dial.
► PEG n. 1. a tooth (used esp. by or for children) → 1598 sl.
n. 2. a blow, esp. a straight or a thrusting one → 18C sl. & Eng. dial.
n. 3. a wooden leg → 1833 colloq.
n. 4. a shilling → 1839 sl., orig. Sc.
n. 5. a drink, esp. of brandy and soda water → 1860 Anglo-Indian
n. 6. a cricket stump → 1891 colloq.
n. 7. a railway semaphore signal → 1911 sl.
n. 8. a playing marble → 1950 Amer. dial.
vb. 1. to throw something; to make a throw at → 1889 Amer. dial.
vb. 2. to crochet → 1898 Amer. dial.
vb. 3. to possess carnally → 1903 sl. (Bk.)
► PEG A MAN vb. to throw out a man on any base → 1926 US baseball sl. (Bk.)
► PEG AWAY vb. to persevere → 1818 sl.
► PEGGED OUT adj. 1. exhausted, tired, worn out → 1868 Amer. dial.
adj. 2. dead → 1942 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► PEGGY n. 1. a sailor assigned to menial tasks; a mess-steward → 1902 naval sl.
n. 2. a chamber-pot → 1967 Amer. dial.
► PEG-HOUSE n. 1. a pub → 1922 sl.
n. 2. a brothel; also, a meeting-place for male homosexuals → 1931 US sl.
► PEGIL n. the menial or rough work to be done about a house; the dirty household jobs → 1808 Sc.
vb. to do the dirty work of a household → 1880 Sc.
► PEG-MAN n. a soldier or other person whose job is to put up tents → 1853 obs.
► PEGO n. the penis → 1680 sl.
► PEGOMANCY n. divination by studying springs or fountains → 1991 (Bk.)
► PEG OUT vb. to die; to get ill; to fail completely → 1855 sl.
► PEG-PUFF n. a young woman with the manners of an old one → 1824 Sc.
► PEGS n. the legs → 1833 jocular usage
► PEIRASTIC adj. involving an experiment; speculative, experimental, tentative → 1656 
► PEISANT adj. 1. forcible, as a blow given with a heavy body → 1450 obs.
adj. 2. that weighs or presses heavily upon one; oppressive, toilsome → 1470 obs.
adj. 3. having great weight; heavy, ponderous → 1520 obs.
► PEJORATE vb. to make or grow worse; to deteriorate; to worsen → 1653
► PELADO adj. low-class → 1848 Amer. dial.
n. a low-class Mexican → 1848 Amer. dial., usually derogatory
► PELADOPHOBIA n. a dread of baldness → 1991 (Bk.)
► PELAGIOUS adj. pertaining to the open or high sea, as distinguished from the shallow water near the coast → 1661 obs.
► PELFISH adj. rubbishy, paltry → 1577 obs.
► PELICAN STATE n. Louisiana → 1942 Amer. sl. (Bk.)
► PELL n. a friend; an accomplice → M18 
► PELLAGRAPHOBIA n. an abnormal fear of catching pellagra → 1991 (Bk.)
► PELLICULATION n. a deceiving with fair words; deception → 19C
► PELL-MELL adv. at breakneck or reckless speed; headlong → 1586 
► PELL-MELL FOR A CAT-RACE adj. very fast → 1913 Amer. dial. (Bk.)
► PELL-MELL FOR KITT’RY adj. very fast → 1913 Amer. dial. (Bk.)
► PELLY MELLY adv. in a confused way or manner; in disorder and hurry; indiscriminately → 1450 obs.
► PELMATOGRAM n. an impression of the sole of the foot; a footprint → 1890 
► PELSNICKLE n. St. Nicholas, Santa Claus or St. Nicholas’ servant whose duty it was to punish naughty children or reward good ones → 1967 Amer. dial.
► PELT n. 1. a blow → 1905 Amer. dial.
n. 2. a racehorse→ 1942 Amer. turf sl. (Bk.)
n. 3. a girl → 1970 US students’ sl. (Bk.)
► PELTER n. 1. a poor or worn-out horse → 1856 Amer. dial.
n. 2. the saddle → 1945 US Western sl. (Bk.)
► PELTSNICKEL n. St. Nicholas, Santa Claus or St. Nicholas’ servant whose duty it was to punish naughty children or reward good ones → 1890 Amer. dial.
► PELZNICKEL n. St. Nicholas, Santa Claus or St. Nicholas’ servant whose duty it was to punish naughty children or reward good ones → 1968 Amer. dial.