abaddon
See also: Abaddon
English
Etymology
UK C19. From Abaddon, from Middle English, from Late Latin, from Ancient Greek Ἀβαδδών (Abaddṓn, “Abaddon”), from Hebrew אבדון (ābaddōn, “destruction, abyss”), from אבד (ābad, “to be lost, to perish”).
Noun
abaddon (plural abaddons)
- (archaic, British slang) An informer; a criminal who informs on other criminals to the authorities.
- c. 1839, Report of the Trial of the Great Gold Dust Robbery:
- The prisoner, Money Moses, better known among thieves and fences as Moses the abaddon, has been, to my knowledge, for the last twenty years a receiver and dealer in stolen property.
- c. 1839, Report of the Trial of the Great Gold Dust Robbery:
Synonyms
- grass, nark, stool pigeon, see Thesaurus:informant
References
- Albert Barrère and Charles G[odfrey] Leland, compilers and editors (1889–1890) “abaddon”, in A Dictionary of Slang, Jargon & Cant […], volume I (A–K), Edinburgh: […] The Ballantyne Press, →OCLC, page 2.
- John S[tephen] Farmer, compiler (1890) “abaddon”, in Slang and Its Analogues Past and Present. […], volume I, [London: […] Thomas Poulter and Sons] […], →OCLC, page 3.
Categories:
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Late Latin
- English terms derived from Ancient Greek
- English terms derived from Hebrew
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- English terms with archaic senses
- British slang
- English 3-syllable words
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