moke

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

A donkey.—Gipsy, but now general to all the lower orders. A "coster" and his "moke" are almost inseparable terms. Probably derived originally from the Arabic al mocreve, a carrier.

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 “moke” mean?

A donkey.—Gipsy, but now general to all the lower orders. A "coster" and his "moke" are almost inseparable terms. Probably derived originally from the Arabic al mocreve, a carrier.

Is “moke” formal or informal?

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