botts
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The colic or bellyache.—Stable Slang. Burns uses it. See Death and Dr. Hornbook.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
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 “botts” mean?
The colic or bellyache.—Stable Slang. Burns uses it. See Death and Dr. Hornbook.
Is “botts” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.