white serjeant
Preserved but no longer current.
Sense 1
A man fetched from the tavern or ale-house by his wife, is said to be arrested by the white serjeant.
Era: ca. 1811 (Georgian)
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.
Sense 2
A man’s superior officer in the person of his better half.
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 “white serjeant” mean?
A man fetched from the tavern or ale-house by his wife, is said to be arrested by the white serjeant.
Is “white serjeant” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.