General
peter
What does peter mean?
Old-school British prison and underworld slang for a cell. Cockney lags have been calling the cell a peter for over a century — 'back in the peter' means back on the bunk, door shut behind you.
"Bang-up at eight and you're in the peter till morning."
Origin
Disputed. Most likely from Greek 'petra' (rock) via the biblical St Peter, since both a cell and a safe are meant to be rock-solid. Some sources point to Cockney rhyming slang 'Peter Pan' = can.
Frequently asked questions
What does peter mean in prison slang?
Peter is a prison cell. It's also used to mean a safe.
How do you use peter in a sentence?
"They banged him up in the peter for the night."
Does peter mean a safe too?
Yes — in criminal slang 'peter' also refers to a safe, as in a 'peterman' who cracks them.
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