gentleman's master
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A highway robber, because he makes a gentleman obey his commands, i.e. stand and deliver.
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
Kẻ cướp đường cao tốc, vì họ khiến quý ông vâng lời
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Era: ca. 1811 (Georgian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
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.
Common questions
What does “gentleman's master” mean?
A highway robber, because he makes a gentleman obey his commands, i.e. stand and deliver.
Is “gentleman's master” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.