party
Preserved but no longer current.
A person—term in very general use, similar in application to the German pronoun, MAN, a person, people; "where’s the PARTY as ’ad a’ orter be lookin’ after this ’ere ’oss?" policeman’s inquiry of the wrong cabman; "old PARTY," an elderly person.
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 “party” mean?
A person—term in very general use, similar in application to the German pronoun, MAN, a person, people; "where’s the PARTY as ’ad a’ orter be lookin’ after this ’ere ’oss?" policeman’s inquiry of the wrong cabman; "old PARTY," an elderly person.
Is “party” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.