geordie
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
General term in Northumberland and Durham for a pitman, or coal-miner. From the Greek, GEORGE meaning one who works the earth, originally a cultivator; the term has been in use more than a century.
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 “geordie” mean?
General term in Northumberland and Durham for a pitman, or coal-miner. From the Greek, GEORGE meaning one who works the earth, originally a cultivator; the term has been in use more than a century.
Is “geordie” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.