English · Slang Historical

token

Preserved but no longer current.

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

The plague: also the venereal disease. She tipped him the token; she gave him a clap or pox.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Bệnh dịch hạch hoặc bệnh lây truyền qua đường tình dục

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.

Topics: Historical slang (1800s)

Common questions

What does “token” mean?

The plague: also the venereal disease. She tipped him the token; she gave him a clap or pox.

Is “token” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.

👁 Views 0 today 0 past 7 days 0 this month 0 all time