Matilda
(Australia, historical) A swag or bluey carried by a swagman or swagwoman.
Etymology timeline
Born ~1906 · 1 year of recorded useSeen in the wild
I just discovered that The gremlins original story had been written by the same author of Charlie and the chocolate factory, Matilda and the BFG. Roland Dahl.
Feed: "Latest from Cyclingnews" By: Matilda Price on Tuesday, May 5, 2026
Hannah the hyrax has finished Matilda and has prepared a book review. She actually cannot read so this is a miracle. It is what it is!
"Matilda coiling over [your oc] for warmth" kind of day. It's windy and cold
Matilda gets whole turds stuck in her bloomers and does not care until I have to hold her like a wheelbarrow and pull it/cut it out she is so indignant every time
Definitions
(Australia, historical) A swag or bluey carried by a swagman or swagwoman.
“I just discovered that The gremlins original story had been written by the same author of Charlie and the chocolate factory, Matilda and the BFG. Roland Dahl.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Feed: "Latest from Cyclingnews" By: Matilda Price on Tuesday, May 5, 2026”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Hannah the hyrax has finished Matilda and has prepared a book review. She actually cannot read so this is a miracle. It is what it is!”
— Bluesky· May 2026“"Matilda coiling over [your oc] for warmth" kind of day. It's windy and cold”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Matilda gets whole turds stuck in her bloomers and does not care until I have to hold her like a wheelbarrow and pull it/cut it out she is so indignant every time”
— Bluesky· May 2026
Comments
(UK, army, historical) Either of two British infantry tanks in use during World War II, the Infantry Tank Mark I or Infantry Tank Mark II.
"Matilda" is an old or dialect word meaning either of two british infantry tanks in use during world war ii, the infantry tank mark i or infantry tank mark ii. If your teen uses it, they have most likely picked it up from a book, video game, period drama, or a regional grandparent rather than a modern peer group. There is no cause for concern here; the word is largely out of contemporary teen usage. If it appears in a school text, it is being studied for vocabulary or historical context. You can treat it like any other archaic vocabulary item.
"Matilda" is obsolete or literary English meaning either of two british infantry tanks in use during world war ii, the infantry tank mark i or infantry tank mark ii. It is mainly heard in British English (and Irish English). A more formal or neutral equivalent would be something like "either of two british infantry tanks in use during world war ii" expressed in standard vocabulary. A common mistake is to use "Matilda" in modern conversation; it will sound strange or theatrical. Recognise it in older texts, but use the modern equivalent when speaking.
“Matilda 2022 was totally slept on or else I lived under a rock. Both can be true at the same time”
— Bluesky· May 2026“People motivating me to get more Matilda stuff and I do agree however... ...what though...”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Chubby Matilda lounging on a daybed. Matilda in a sundress. Matilda floating in a pool. Sweater Matilda.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Sweater matilda actually exists already! Pool floating only tangentially exists. Sundress could be cool, as would the daybed.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“#OnThisDay in 984 (possibly) Gerberga of Saxony died. She was born circa 913 as the daughter of Henry the Fowler, Duke of Saxony and King of East Francia, and Matilda of Ringelheim.”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.
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Related terms
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Semantically related
- waltz Matilda78%
(Australia) To travel on foot carrying a swag (belongings wrapped in a blanket); to travel in this manner looking for work.
- swaggie62%
Australian and New Zealand colloquial term for a swagman — the iconic itinerant worker of the colonial and Depression-era outback, who carried all their possessions in a swag (a bedroll) on their back as they moved from station to station seeking work. Swaggie is the affectionate diminutive, stripping the romance from the image and replacing it with something more human and a little scruffy. Immortalised in 'Waltzing Matilda,' the swaggie is a central figure in Australian folk mythology.
- Murrumbidgee blanket59%
(Australia) A type of makeshift blanket or rug, commonly used by swagmen (Australian itinerants) in the past, made from three or more wheat sacks stitched together without being opened out, creating a double-thick layer of material.
- swagwoman58%
(Australia, New Zealand, historical) A woman who travels around with a personal]] items.