noun General Slang

peter

· noun · prison

A prison cell. Also: a safe.

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Definitions

1

Old-school British prison and underworld slang for a cell. Cockney lags have been calling the cell a peter for over a century — 'back in the peter' means back on the bunk, door shut behind you.

“Bang-up at eight and you're in the peter till morning.”
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In wider villain lingo, a peter is a safe — and a peterman is the geezer who cracks them. Same word, parallel use, both rooted in the same criminal slang ecosystem.

“He'd been blowing peters since the fifties — fingers like a piano tuner.”
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peter In A Sentence

Bang-up at eight and you're in the peter till morning.
He'd been blowing peters since the fifties — fingers like a piano tuner.

Origin & Usage

Disputed. Most likely from Greek 'petra' (rock) via the biblical St Peter, since both a cell and a safe are meant to be rock-solid. Some sources point to Cockney rhyming slang 'Peter Pan' = can.

Variants pete
Tags #prison#uk-prison#british#cockney#underworld

People Also Ask

What does peter mean in prison slang?

Peter is a prison cell. It's also used to mean a safe.

How do you use peter in a sentence?

"They banged him up in the peter for the night."

Does peter mean a safe too?

Yes — in criminal slang 'peter' also refers to a safe, as in a 'peterman' who cracks them.

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