Peep-o'-Day Boys
Preserved but no longer current.
The Irish Protestant faction in Ulster of about 1786; they were precursors of the Orangemen (#.v.), and were active from the period mentioned; so called because they used to visit the houses of their Roman Catholic opponents (called Defenders') at "peep of day" searching for arms or plunder.
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 “Peep-o'-Day Boys” mean?
The Irish Protestant faction in Ulster of about 1786; they were precursors of the Orangemen (#.v.), and were active from the period mentioned; so called because they used to visit the houses of their Roman Catholic opponents (called Defenders') at "peep of day" searching for arms or plunder.
Is “Peep-o'-Day Boys” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.