noun

pidgin

Quiz me More like this

Pidgin (noun) means a simple mixed language that two groups without a shared language use to talk to each other, with basic grammar, a small vocabulary and no native speakers, and often helped along with gestures.

noun

A simple mixed language that two groups without a shared language use to talk to each other, with basic grammar, a small vocabulary and no native speakers, and often helped along with gestures.

"‘I didnʼt know you can speak pidgin,’ he said and laughed." — Chigozie Obioma, An Orchestra of Minorities (2019)

Someone's job, work, or business.

"Forget money. That's my pidgin." — Robert A. Heinlein, The Man Who Sold the Moon (1950)

"It's up to the detective sergeant to ask his own questions, that's not my pidgin. But I did wonder if either of you gentlemen had an idea of the exact time of the shot." — Guy Cullingford, Post Mortem (2015)

Vocabulary Flow

Build your vocabulary from words like pidgin.

Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.

Start vocabulary practice

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

C2 · Advanced serendipity Fortunate discoveries made entirely by accident.

Gen Z slang rizz Charm — the ability to attract a romantic interest.

B2 · Intermediate empathy The capacity to share another person’s feelings.

C1 · Advanced nonchalant Casually calm and relaxed; unconcerned.

Internet slang delulu Delusional — believing something against the odds.

Etymology nostalgia Greek nostos “return home” + algos “pain”.

Test yourself on “pidgin” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Etymology

From pidgin English, from a Chinese Pidgin English pronunciation of English business during trade in the Far East. All attestations of pidgin from the first half of the nineteenth century given in the third edition of the Oxford English Dictionary mean “business; an action, occupation, or affair” (the earliest being from 1807). Other suggested derivations include: * Hebrew פִּדְיוֹן (pidyón, “exchange; trade; redemption”) * Chinese pronunciation of Portuguese ocupação (“occupation; business”) * South Seas pronunciation of beach * Portuguese baixo (“low”)

Frequently asked questions

What is the meaning of pidgin?

"pidgin" (noun) means a simple mixed language that two groups without a shared language use to talk to each other, with basic grammar, a small vocabulary and no native speakers, and often helped along with gestures.

What are the different meanings of pidgin?

"pidgin" has 2 main meanings: 1. A simple mixed language that two groups without a shared language use to talk to each other, with basic grammar, a small vocabulary and no native speakers, and often helped along with gestures; 2. Someone's job, work, or business.