chate, chatte, chat Thieves' Cant. ? Obs.
[Origin uncertain: see quot. 1610.]
pl. Gallows.
| 1567 Harman Caveat (1869) 84 Chattes, the gallowes. Ibid. 86 Tryning on the chates [gallowes]. 1610 Rowlands Mart. Markall, Chates, the Gallowes; here he mistakes..for chates it should be cheates which word is vsed generally for things..if you will make a word for the Gallows, you must put thereto the word treyning..and so treyning cheate is..hanging things or the Gallows and not chates. 1673 R. Head Cant. Acad. 36 Chats, the Gallowes. c 1690 in B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew. 1725 in New Cant. Dict. |