lingo
1 Americannoun
plural
lingoes-
the language and speech, especially the jargon, slang, or argot, of a particular field, group, or individual.
gamblers' lingo.
-
language or speech, especially if strange or foreign.
noun
plural
lingoesnoun
Etymology
Origin of lingo
1650–60; apparently alteration of lingua (franca); compare Polari lingo “language”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Macroeconomists call such a scenario “indeterminacy” — economist lingo that simply means that key macroeconomic variables such as employment, output growth and inflation have no stable resting point.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 13, 2026
We didn’t have our own lingo and mall culture, like they did in the Valley.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 7, 2026
How much of the archaic lingo below can you decipher?
From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 24, 2025
The long wait and uncertainty as to when Putricia will bloom - has spawned jokes and even a unique lingo in the livestream's chat, with thousands commenting "WWTF", or "We Watch the Flower".
From BBC • Jan. 22, 2025
“Stick around, Ruby Tuesday, and you’ll start picking up the cool-kid lingo, too.”
From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
