Billingsgate

Billingsgate (bĭlˈĭngzgĭt, –gāt) [key], wharf and fish market, London, England, on the north bank of the Thames River. The market was named after a river gate in the old city wall. The word Billingsgate, a synonym for coarse language, arose from references to the speech of the district's fish mongers. The market has been relocated to a modern facility on the Isle of Dogs, a split of land near the West India dock.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

• • Cite
  • Print