Isle of Dogs
Preserved but no longer current.
A peninsula on the left bank of the Thames between the Limehouse and Blackwall reaches, opposite Greenwich. It is said to be so called because it was here that Edward III kept his greyhounds; but another explanation is that it is a corruption of Isle of Ducks, from the number of wild fowl anciently inhabiting the marshes.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Isle of Dogs” mean?
A peninsula on the left bank of the Thames between the Limehouse and Blackwall reaches, opposite Greenwich. It is said to be so called because it was here that Edward III kept his greyhounds; but another explanation is that it is a corruption of Isle of Ducks, from the number of wild fowl anciently inhabiting the marshes.
Is “Isle of Dogs” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.