socket money

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Sense 1

Meaning · English

Money that people are asked to contribute to birth or marriage festivities.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Tiền đóng góp cho lễ cưới hoặc sinh con

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Register: slang

Where it’s used: Used American English
Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

A whore's fee, or hire: also money paid for a treat, by a married man caught in an intrigue.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Tiền thuê gái mại dâm hoặc tiền trả để che giấu sự ngoại tình

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Era: ca. 1811 (Georgian)

Where it’s used: Origin British & Irish English
Sources & notes

Historical definition reproduced from Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1811 edition, public domain; Project Gutenberg #5402, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.

Common questions

What does “socket money” mean?

Money that people are asked to contribute to birth or marriage festivities.

Is “socket money” formal or informal?

socket money is generally slang.