English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology

Slang Dictionary — Modern Slang, Decoded

What does that word actually mean? Our slang dictionary explains modern slang clearly — Gen Z, internet, British and street slang — with real definitions, examples and where each term came from.

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Gen Z Slangrizz, delulu, slay Internet Slangbrainrot, based, mid British Slangpeng, bare, peak AAVEbussin, finna, cap

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Latest slang terms

Conditions of very poor visibility caused by heavy snowfall, wind, or fog, where the rider can barely see the terrain ahead. Whiteouts make riding disorienting and dangerous.

A list of wallet addresses pre-approved to mint an NFT before the public sale, usually at a lower price and without gas wars. Getting WL'd typically requires grinding Discord activity, holding another collection, or knowing the right people. The whole pre-mint Discord economy runs on this.

To sketch and develop an idea collaboratively, literally or figuratively on a whiteboard.

A higher-ranking prison officer — captain, lieutenant, the brass who show up when things get serious. Named because they wear white shirts while line officers wear grey or blue. When the white-shirts arrive, the situation just got upgraded.

Describing professional, managerial, or administrative work typically performed in an office setting, as distinct from manual blue-collar labor.

The moment in deep powder when the spray from your own turn completely surrounds you in white, blotting out everything else. Being in the white room is a mark of a truly deep run.

A friendly acquirer the target board actually wants. When a raider shows up swinging, the board runs to a white knight who'll pay up, keep management, and not gut the place. Better the devil you're choosing.

whit's fur ye'll no go by ye

A fatalistic proverb: what is destined for you will come to you.

An Appalachian nickname for the groundhog, named for the shrill whistle it gives as an alarm.

The bubble level — called a 'whiskey stick' because it contains spirit (alcohol) in the vial, and because plenty of jobsite humour leans on the booze angle. Carpenters, framers, and masons live and die by it.

Slang for white phosphorus, an incendiary/smoke-producing substance used in munitions, from the initials 'WP' rendered loosely in phonetic style.

whiskey in a teacup

Describes a lady with refined manners and a strong, fiery spirit underneath.

The code word representing the letter 'W' in the NATO/ICAO phonetic alphabet; a frequent component of slang phrases such as 'Whiskey Tango' and 'Whiskey Tango Foxtrot'.

An interjection or command telling someone to be silent. 'Hold your whisht' means keep quiet.

A whipsaw is a rapid price swing in one direction immediately followed by a sharp reversal, often stopping out traders on both sides. It is common in highly volatile markets.

Devoted to the point of dropping everything for someone.

Slang for a car, often a stylish, fast, or expensive one. "New whip" means a new ride.

Someone who complains constantly and annoyingly.

To complain or moan, especially in an annoying, drawn-out way.

Labour-ward slang for a primipara (first-time pregnant woman) who pitches up at the unit over and over convinced this is it — and gets sent home again with Braxton-Hicks every time. 'Primey' is the clipped form of primipara; 'whiney' is the staff's tired editorial. Pejorative, and one midwives flag as the kind of label that can blunt your judgement the day she actually is in labour.

Cynical slang for the stream of patients presenting to the emergency department with very minor complaints.

A mood of soft, mystical darkness — gothic but dreamy rather than harsh.

The winding engine at the top of a coal-pit shaft that hauled men and coal up and down. In Black Country usage it specifically meant the old horse-powered version (a 'ginny-whimsey') before steam took over. Pure mining-heritage vocab — gone with the pits but preserved in place names and museum signage.

Used to mean 'until'. A famous Yorkshireism that can confuse outsiders.