soiled doves
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
The "Midnight Meeting" term for prostitutes and "gay" ladies generally.
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 “soiled doves” mean?
The "Midnight Meeting" term for prostitutes and "gay" ladies generally.
Is “soiled doves” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.