kidney
Preserved but no longer current.
"of that KIDNEY," of such a stamp; "strange KIDNEY," odd humour; "two of a KIDNEY," two persons of a sort, or as like as two peas, i.e., resembling each other like two kidneys in a bunch.—Old. "Attempt to put their hair out of KIDNEY."—Terræ Filius, 1763.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
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 “kidney” mean?
"of that KIDNEY," of such a stamp; "strange KIDNEY," odd humour; "two of a KIDNEY," two persons of a sort, or as like as two peas, i.e., resembling each other like two kidneys in a bunch.—Old. "Attempt to put their hair out of KIDNEY."—Terræ Filius, 1763.
Is “kidney” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.