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.
Though fluent in academic lingo, his verse was approachable, written with students and the public in mind and indicative of someone who always made sure to not stay stuck in the proverbial ivory tower.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026
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
How much of the archaic lingo below can you decipher?
From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 24, 2025
Fruitcake aficionados will tell you that the best fruit cakes are matured – or "seasoned" in fruitcake lingo – for at least three months before they are cut.
From Salon • Dec. 17, 2024
I have to hand it to her; Dr. Minerva picked up on my lingo pretty quickly.
From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini
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.
