cab

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

A brothel. Mother: how many tails have you in your cab? how many girls have you in your bawdy house?

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 “cab” mean?

A brothel. Mother: how many tails have you in your cab? how many girls have you in your bawdy house?

Is “cab” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.