stiff
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Paper, a bill of acceptance, &c.; "how did you get it, STIFF or hard?" i.e., did he pay you cash or give a bill? "To do a bit of STIFF," to accept a bill. See KITE.
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 “stiff” mean?
Paper, a bill of acceptance, &c.; "how did you get it, STIFF or hard?" i.e., did he pay you cash or give a bill? "To do a bit of STIFF," to accept a bill. See KITE.
Is “stiff” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.