noun
billingsgate
BIL-ingz-gayt/ˈbɪlɪŋzˌɡeɪt/
Coarsely abusive language.
The argument dissolves into billingsgate that shocks the other passengers.
Etymology
The place name, meaning “Billing’s gate,” became associated with the coarse, abusive speech of women at its Thames-side market. The market’s name then became a general term for insulting language.
More examples
- She refuses to answer his billingsgate.
- The columnist condemns the billingsgate exchanged during the debate.
- A torrent of billingsgate erupts from the angry crowd.