kibosh
English
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kibosh¹
- /ˈkaɪˌbɒʃ/ UK
- /kɪˈbɑʃ/ UK
- /ˈkaɪˌbɑʃ/ US
- /kaɪˈbɑʃ/ US
- /kɪ-/ US
Rhymes with -aɪbɒʃ, -ɒʃ
Where it comes from
The origin of the noun is uncertain; the following etymologies have been suggested:
* According to Gerald Leonard Cohen, Stephen Goranson, and Matthew Little, at present the most likely derivation is as a non-rhotic variant of kurbash (“heavy whip, lash”), from Arabic كُرْبَاج (kurbāj, “lash, whip”), or from its etymon Ottoman Turkish قرباچ (kırbaç, “lash, whip”) (whence Turkish kırbaç (“whip”)).
* From Irish caidhp bháis (literally “death cap”), said to denote, among other things, the black cap worn by English judges when pronouncing the death sentence, the hood put on a person before they were put to death by hanging, or a form of torture called pitchcapping. However, there appears to be no convincing evidence that the term was used in these senses.
* From a Yiddish word (compare Hebrew כָּבַשׁ (kavásh, “to conquer, subjugate”)); however, no such word has been found.
* From Middle English cabochen (“to cut off (the head, chiefly of a deer), behead”), from Middle French cabocher (“to cut off (the head)”), from caboche (“the head”) (Northern France, informal) (whence Middle English caboche (“head of cabbage”)), from Italian capocchia (“the head”) (derogatory), ultimately from Latin caput (“the head”). The Middle English word is said to have been adopted in Cockney slang; however, how this is supposed to have happened remains unexplained
* A clogmakers’ term kibosh (“iron bar about a foot long that, when hot, is used to soften and smooth leather”).
The verb is derived from the noun.
noun cabosh · kaibosh · kibbosh · kiebosh · kybosh · kyebosh
- Only used in put on the kibosh and put the kibosh on: something which checks or restrains. “What do you mean by hussies?” interrupted a champion of the other party, who has evinced a strong inclination to get up a branch fight on her own account. (“Hoo-roa,” ejaculates a pot-boy in a parenthesis, “put the kye-bosh on her, Mary.”)
verb kiboshes · kiboshing · kiboshed · cabosh · kaibosh
- To decisively put a stop to or terminate (someone or something). Philly Kiboshes Blackout Tutoring [title] […] Plan of the Pennsylvania State Council of Defense to ring in a State-wide network of 45 stations for an "educational" blackout test, was nixed by the Office of Censorship after it was okayed by the Third Service Command of the army. Skedded for Thursday
kibosh²
- /ˈkaɪˌbɒʃ/ UK
- /kɪˈbɑʃ/ UK
- /ˈkaɪˌbɑʃ/ US
- /kaɪˈbɑʃ/ US
- /kɪ-/ US
Rhymes with -aɪbɒʃ, -ɒʃ
Where it comes from
Possibly a variant of bosh (“nonsense”).
noun cabosh · kaibosh · kibbosh · kiebosh · kybosh · kyebosh
- Bosh, nonsense. Still I wish you a 'Appy New Year, if you care for the kibosh, old Chappie, / Though 'taint 'Igh Art Cards full o' gush and green paint 'll make you and me 'appy. / Wot we want is lucre and larks, love and lotion as much as you'll carry!
kibosh³
- /ˈkaɪˌbɒʃ/ UK
- /kɪˈbɑʃ/ UK
- /ˈkaɪˌbɑʃ/ US
- /kaɪˈbɑʃ/ US
- /kɪ-/ US
Rhymes with -aɪbɒʃ, -ɒʃ
Where it comes from
Origin unknown.
noun cabosh · kaibosh · kibbosh · kiebosh · kybosh · kyebosh
- Chiefly preceded by the: fashion, style. She was, in very Sooth, among the highest of the Rollers, but Hiram stood for the Bills with nary a Whimper. He was proud to be the Husband of the Lady Ki-Bosh of the Local Knickerbockers.
Translations
Every language
noun something which checks or restrains
| Français | holà |
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Talk about this word "kibosh." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/kibosh. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. kibosh. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/kibosh "kibosh." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/kibosh.Cite this
@misc{kibosh_2026,
title = {kibosh},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/kibosh},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
