An obsolete piece of 18th-19th century British thieves and vagabond cant for a gentleman's house or fine residence — a target for theft. Gentry meant upper class, cove was cant for a fellow or person, and ken was cant for a house or dwelling. Entirely archaic and of historical linguistic interest.
The crew spent a week watching the gentry cove's ken before deciding it was worth the risk.
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(obsolete, UK, thieves) A gentleman's house.
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.