subs. (old).—1. A prison; a place of confinement. [From limbus patrum = purgatory.] See CAGE and SLOWED.
1553. LYNDSAY, The Dreme [LAING (1879), i. 14. 360]. That was the LYMBE in the quhilk did remaine.
1592. GREENE, A Quip for an Upstart Courtier, in Works, xi. 253. That reprobate is the vserers executioner, to bring such gentlemen to LIMBO, as he hath overthrowne with his base brocage.
1653. R. BROME, The Damoiselle, iii. 1. Had I raked LIMBO as I did the compter.
1664. ETHEREGE, The Comical Revenge, v. 4, in Wks. (1704), 78. Sir Fred. No consideration; dispatch, or to LIMBO. Whead. Was there ever such a dilemma? I shall rot in prison.
1785. GROSE, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, s.v. LIMBO.
1796. J. G. HOLMAN, Abroad and at Home, ii. 3. Har. Captain O’Neill, my friend, Jack Flourish, is a very whimsical fellow. If he had been out of LIMBO, you wou’d have seen him earlier.
1821. W. T. MONCRIEFF, Tom and Jerry, iii. 5. Never desert an old pal in LIMBO, Bob.
1836. MARRYAT, Japhet, lxviii. Who would soon have found out that I had two legs, and have put me into LIMBO as an impostor.
1877. W. H. THOMSON, Five Years’ Penal Servitude, iv. 263. It was a heartless, cruel robbery on his part, and had brought ill-luck on him ever since. Before that occurred he had never been in ‘LIMBO.’
2. (old).—A pawnshop; UNCLE’S (q.v.): IN LIMBO = in pawn.
1693. CONGREVE, The Old Batchelor, ii. 1. I let him have all my ready money, to redeem his great sword from LIMBO.
1754. MARTIN, English Dictionary, 2nd ed., s.v.
3. (venery).—The female pudendum. For synonyms, see MONOSYLLABLE.
