corporation

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

The protuberant front of an obese person. Probably from the old announcements which used to be made, and are made now in some towns where improvements are made by the municipal authorities, "Widened at the expense of the CORPORATION."

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 “corporation” mean?

The protuberant front of an obese person. Probably from the old announcements which used to be made, and are made now in some towns where improvements are made by the municipal authorities, "Widened at the expense of the CORPORATION."

Is “corporation” formal or informal?

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