gravesend sweetmeats

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

Shrimps. GRAVESEND TWINS are solid particles of sewage.

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 “gravesend sweetmeats” mean?

Shrimps. GRAVESEND TWINS are solid particles of sewage.

Is “gravesend sweetmeats” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.