lingo
noun
lin·go
ˈliŋ-(ˌ)gō 
plural lingos or lingoes
: strange or incomprehensible language or speech: such as
a
: a foreign language
It can be hard to travel in a foreign country if you don't speak the lingo.
b
: the special vocabulary of a particular field of interest
The book has a lot of computer lingo.
c
: language characteristic of an individual
He has his own lingo … and at the top of each shift, he delivers a monologue that sets the table for his show.—
Tim Sullivan
Tim SullivanExamples of lingo in a Sentence
It can be hard to travel in a foreign country if you don't speak the lingo.
The book has a lot of computer lingo that I don't understand.
Recent Examples on the Web
Fast responses and avoiding industry lingo help to build trust with clients.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
But every once in a while, something happens in the world that drives the lingo out of obscurity and into popular discussions.
—Talmon Joseph Smith, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2025
In its original run, Grimm ran for six seasons that saw Detective Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli) become a formidable Grimm (the show’s lingo for monster hunters) alongside his human partner Hank Griffin (Russell Hornsby) and werewolf ally Munroe (Silas Weir Mitchell).
—Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 6 Jan. 2025
In finance lingo, Fortescue has a price-to-earnings ratio similar to, if slightly below, those of its mining peers.
—Justin Worland, TIME, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lingo
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Expert Panel®, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
But every once in a while, something happens in the world that drives the lingo out of obscurity and into popular discussions.
—Talmon Joseph Smith, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2025
In its original run, Grimm ran for six seasons that saw Detective Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli) become a formidable Grimm (the show’s lingo for monster hunters) alongside his human partner Hank Griffin (Russell Hornsby) and werewolf ally Munroe (Silas Weir Mitchell).
—Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 6 Jan. 2025
In finance lingo, Fortescue has a price-to-earnings ratio similar to, if slightly below, those of its mining peers.
—Justin Worland, TIME, 25 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lingo
Cite this Entry
“Lingo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lingo. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.
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