bloody back
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Sense 1
Meaning · English
A soldier.
Register: archaic, derogatory, slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
[…] how the troops came marching out for evening exercise under Captain Preston; how pedestrians and street urchins taunted them, shouting "Lobsters," "Bloody-backs," and flinging snow-balls, turnips, […]
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
Meaning · English
A jeering appellation for a soldier, alluding to his scarlet coat.
Era: ca. 1811 (Georgian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1811 edition, public domain; Project Gutenberg #5402, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “bloody back” mean?
A soldier.
Is “bloody back” formal or informal?
bloody back is generally archaic, derogatory, slang.