kibosh
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Chiefly in put on the kibosh or put the kibosh on: something which checks or restrains.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
“What do you mean by hussies?” interrupted a champion of the other party, who has evinced a strong inclination to get up a branch fight on her own account. (“Hoo-roa,” ejaculates a pot-boy in a parenthesis, “put the kye-bosh on her, Mary.”)
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “kibosh” mean?
Chiefly in put on the kibosh or put the kibosh on: something which checks or restrains.
Is “kibosh” formal or informal?
kibosh is generally slang.