wapping dell en · NOUN
Etymology
From wap (“to engage in sexual intercourse”) + dell (“young woman”).
Meanings
-
(UK, obsolete, qualifier:thieves' cant) A prostitute.
And wapping Dell, that niggles well, / And takes loure for her hire.
1665, Richard Head, The English Rogue, page 45:Buss her, wap in rogue’s rum lingo, for, O, my dimber wapping dell.
1922, James Joyce, “Proteus”, in Ulysses, page 47:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| wapping dells | Number=Plur | lexicographic |