Revised 2006 More entries for "pimp"
pimpnoun1
Factsheet
What does the noun pimp mean?
There are five meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun pimp. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
How common is the noun pimp?
About 0.5occurrences per million words in modern written English
| 1750 | 0.35 |
| 1760 | 0.36 |
| 1770 | 0.33 |
| 1780 | 0.33 |
| 1790 | 0.29 |
| 1800 | 0.28 |
| 1810 | 0.22 |
| 1820 | 0.19 |
| 1830 | 0.14 |
| 1840 | 0.12 |
| 1850 | 0.085 |
| 1860 | 0.085 |
| 1870 | 0.082 |
| 1880 | 0.083 |
| 1890 | 0.091 |
| 1900 | 0.1 |
| 1910 | 0.14 |
| 1920 | 0.17 |
| 1930 | 0.2 |
| 1940 | 0.24 |
| 1950 | 0.31 |
| 1960 | 0.35 |
| 1970 | 0.41 |
| 1980 | 0.48 |
| 1990 | 0.54 |
| 2000 | 0.55 |
| 2010 | 0.57 |
How is the noun pimp pronounced?
British English
/pɪmp/
pimp
U.S. English
/pɪmp/
pimp
Where does the noun pimp come from?
Earliest known use
early 1600s
The earliest known use of the noun pimp is in the early 1600s.
OED's earliest evidence for pimp is from 1600, in the writing of Ben Jonson, poet and playwright.
pimp is of unknown origin.
Nearby entries
- pimiento, n. & adj.1662–
- pimiento cheese, n.1911–
- pimiento olive, n.1925–
- piminy, n. & adj.1819–90
- piminy, int.1912–
- Pimlico, n.¹1609–1760
- pimlico, n.²1615–
- Pimlico parliament, n.?1774–99
- Pimm's, n.1912–
- pimozide, n.1968–
- pimp, n.¹1600–
- pimp, n.²a1731–
- pimp, v.1639–
- pimped-out, adj.1988–
- pimper, v.¹1537–
- pimper, v.²1600
- pimpernel, n.1378–
- pimpernel chaffweed, n.1796
- pimpernel rose, n.1787–1886
- pimpernel water, n.1652–
- pimpernol, n.1251–1481
Etymology
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Meaning & use
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Pronunciation
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Forms
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Frequency
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Compounds & derived words
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Entry history for pimp, n.¹
pimp, n.¹ was revised in June 2006.
pimp, n.¹ was last modified in December 2023.
oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:
- further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
- new senses, phrases, and quotations.
Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into pimp, n.¹ in December 2023.
Earlier versions of this entry were published in:
OED First Edition (1906)
OED Second Edition (1989)
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Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “,” , .
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Citation details
Factsheet for pimp, n.¹
Browse entry
Nearby entries
- pimiento, n. & adj.1662–
- pimiento cheese, n.1911–
- pimiento olive, n.1925–
- piminy, n. & adj.1819–90
- piminy, int.1912–
- Pimlico, n.¹1609–1760
- pimlico, n.²1615–
- Pimlico parliament, n.?1774–99
- Pimm's, n.1912–
- pimozide, n.1968–
- pimp, n.¹1600–
- pimp, n.²a1731–
- pimp, v.1639–
- pimped-out, adj.1988–
- pimper, v.¹1537–
- pimper, v.²1600
- pimpernel, n.1378–
- pimpernel chaffweed, n.1796
- pimpernel rose, n.1787–1886
- pimpernel water, n.1652–
- pimpernol, n.1251–1481
