dubsman
Obsolete British cant (criminal slang) for a jailer or turnkey — someone who held the keys (the 'dubs') to a prison.
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#1·Apr 28, 2026
Obsolete British cant (criminal slang) for a jailer or turnkey — someone who held the keys (the 'dubs') to a prison. The term dates from at least the 17th or 18th century and appears in slang dictionaries of the era. 'Dub' was thieves' cant for a key, making a dubsman the key-holder.
The dubsman pocketed the bribe without looking up, then unlocked the cell without a word.
Origin: From cant 'dub' (a key) + '-sman' (holder, person); the dubsman held the 'dubs' or keys of a jail. Editorial expansion authored on Slangora.
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#2·Apr 27, 2026
(obsolete, slang) A jailer.
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