shovel
Preserved but no longer current.
A term applied by the vulgar crowd to the inelegant twisted hats worn by the dignitaries of the Church. Dean Alford says, "I once heard a venerable dignitary pointed out by a railway porter as "an old party in a SHOVEL."—Queen’s English.
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 “shovel” mean?
A term applied by the vulgar crowd to the inelegant twisted hats worn by the dignitaries of the Church. Dean Alford says, "I once heard a venerable dignitary pointed out by a railway porter as "an old party in a SHOVEL."—Queen’s English.
Is “shovel” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.