cannibals
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The training boats for the Cambridge freshmen, i.e., "CANNOT-PULLS." The term is applied both to boats and rowers.—See SLOGGERS. Torpids is the usual term for the races in which these men and machines figure.
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 “cannibals” mean?
The training boats for the Cambridge freshmen, i.e., "CANNOT-PULLS." The term is applied both to boats and rowers.—See SLOGGERS. Torpids is the usual term for the races in which these men and machines figure.
Is “cannibals” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.