ponce
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A degraded man who lives upon a woman’s prostitution. Low-class East-end thieves even will "draw the line" at PONCES, and object to their presence in the boozing-kens.
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 “ponce” mean?
A degraded man who lives upon a woman’s prostitution. Low-class East-end thieves even will "draw the line" at PONCES, and object to their presence in the boozing-kens.
Is “ponce” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.