barge
Preserved but no longer current.
A term used among printers (compositors) to denote a case in which there is an undue proportion of some letters and a corresponding shortness of those which are most valuable.
trường hợp có sự phân bố quá nhiều một số chữ cái và thiếu những chữ cái quý
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “barge” mean?
A term used among printers (compositors) to denote a case in which there is an undue proportion of some letters and a corresponding shortness of those which are most valuable.
Is “barge” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.