lingo

noun

lin·​go ˈliŋ-(ˌ)gō How to pronounce lingo (audio)
plural lingos or lingoes
: strange or incomprehensible language or speech: such as
a
: a foreign language
It can be hard to travel in a foreign country if you don't speak the lingo.
b
: the special vocabulary of a particular field of interest
The book has a lot of computer lingo.
c
: language characteristic of an individual
He has his own lingo … and at the top of each shift, he delivers a monologue that sets the table for his show.Tim Sullivan

Examples of lingo in a Sentence

It can be hard to travel in a foreign country if you don't speak the lingo. The book has a lot of computer lingo that I don't understand.
Recent Examples on the Web That’s the beer talking … In honor of St. Patty’s Day on Sunday, know your Irish beer lingo, boy-o and girl-o: Dry Stout: Dark, roasted malts, moderate bitterness, low alcohol. Peter Rowe, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Mar. 2024 While industry lingo, media contacts and market knowledge can easily be acquired, there’s no substitute for curiosity, passion, enthusiasm and creative strategy. Heather Kelly, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024 That’s been the most challenging: learning the business, learning the lingo learning film. Alison Herman, Variety, 5 Feb. 2024 Dive deep into your community’s values, lingo and pain points. Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 2 Feb. 2024 Silver Castaway Club members can book onboard cruise activities like spa treatments and specialty dining as well as Port Adventures, Disney’s lingo for shore excursions, 90 days before sailing. Jacqueline Dole, Travel + Leisure, 1 Feb. 2024 But Kissinger kept his hand in, as an adviser and commentator — in Washington lingo, a wise man. Christian Schneider, National Review, 21 Dec. 2023 Emily Weiss, the Glossier chief executive officer, learned the lingo of tech and put beauty on par with fashion as a font of luxury, niche products and unattainable cool. Boris Kachka, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2023 Sporting flaming red hair à la Sarah Bernhardt—or, in New Yorker lingo, Grace Coddington—Huppert channels the fast-talking screen heroines of 1930s and ’40s screwball comedies for what may be her vampiest performance yet. Daniel Clemens, Vogue, 19 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lingo.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

probably from Lingua Franca, language, tongue, from Occitan, from Latin lingua — more at tongue

First Known Use

1659, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lingo was in 1659

Dictionary Entries Near lingo

Cite this Entry

“Lingo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lingo. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

lingo

noun
lin·​go ˈliŋ-gō How to pronounce lingo (audio)
plural lingoes
: language that is strange or hard to understand

More from Merriam-Webster on lingo

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