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pogey

American  
[poh-gee] / ˈpoʊ gi /

noun

pogeys plural
  1. Slang. Also

    1. a package of food, candy, or other treats sent to a child at boarding school, a person in an institution, etc.

    2. candy or a treat.

  2. Canadian Slang.

    1. an institution maintained by private charities or government funds for the housing of the aged, sick, orphaned, or feeble-minded; an old-age home, charity hospital, orphanage, or the like.

    2. any form of charity or government relief.

    3. unemployment insurance provided by the government.


adjective

Canadian Slang.
  1. of, relating to, or obtained through charity or government relief.

    pogey shoes.

pogey British  
/ ˈpəʊɡɪ /

noun

  1. financial or other relief given to the unemployed by the government; dole

  2. unemployment insurance

    1. the office distributing relief to the unemployed

    2. ( as modifier )

      pogey clothes

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of pogey

First recorded in 1890–95; earlier pogie workhouse < ?

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.

See Examples For:

She’s still loading pogeys — lobster-speak for menhaden, a small fish — into traps to lure the crustaceans in.

From Seattle Times Sep. 15, 2021

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