death's head
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Bawds and procuresses used to wear a ring bearing the impression of a death's head in the time of Queen Elizabeth. Allusions are not uncommon in plays of the period.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “death's head” mean?
Bawds and procuresses used to wear a ring bearing the impression of a death's head in the time of Queen Elizabeth. Allusions are not uncommon in plays of the period.
Is “death's head” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.