dish
Preserved but no longer current.
To stop, to do away with, to suppress; DISHED, done for, floored, beaten, or silenced. To "do brown" and to "DISH," both verbs with very similar meanings, have an evident connexion so far as origin is concerned, and most likely were both first used in the kitchen as synonymous with "done for." The late Lord Derby made the word "DISH" famous by his latest public act, that of "DISHING the Whigs."
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
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 “dish” mean?
To stop, to do away with, to suppress; DISHED, done for, floored, beaten, or silenced. To "do brown" and to "DISH," both verbs with very similar meanings, have an evident connexion so far as origin is concerned, and most likely were both first used in the kitchen as synonymous with "done for." The late Lord Derby made the word "DISH" famous by his latest public act, that of "DISHING the Whigs."
Is “dish” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.