dog latin
Preserved but no longer current.
Sense 1
Barbarous Latin, such as was formerly used by the lawyers in their pleadings.
Era: ca. 1811 (Georgian)
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.
Sense 2
Barbarous Latin, such as was formerly used by lawyers in their pleadings. Now applied to medical Latin.
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 “dog latin” mean?
Barbarous Latin, such as was formerly used by the lawyers in their pleadings.
Is “dog latin” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.