sharper

See also: Sharper

English

Etymology

From sharp +‎ -er.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈʃɑɹpɚ/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)pə(ɹ)

Adjective

sharper

1. comparative form of sharp: more sharp

Noun

sharper (plural sharpers)

1. (dated) a swindler; a cheat; a professional gambler who makes his living by cheating.
   • 1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], “A Further Account of Glubbdubdrib. […]”, in Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], volume II, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC, part III (A Voyage to Laputa, Balnibarbi, Glubbdubdribb, Luggnagg, and Japan), page 108:

     I could plainly diſcover from whence one Family derives a long Chin; why a ſecond hath abounded with Knaves for two Generations, and Fools for two more; why a third happened to be crack-brained, and a fourth to be Sharpers.

   • 1766, T[obias] Smollett, “Letter XXIX”, in Travels through France and Italy. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: […] R[oberts] Baldwin, […], →OCLC:

     Our young gentlemen who go to Rome will do well to be upon their guard against a set of sharpers, (some of them of our own country,) who deal in pictures and antiques, and very often impose upon the uninformed stranger, by selling him trash, as the productions of the most celebrated artists.

   • 1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 44, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849–1850, →OCLC:

     He was a man whom scarcely any amount of fortune could have benefited permanently, and who was made to be ruined, to cheat small tradesmen, to be the victim of astuter sharpers …

   • 1878, John Payne, Introduction, in François Villon, Poems, translated by John Payne, New York: Boni & Liveright, c. 1918, p. 33 [1]

     […] in a twinkling the accomplished sharper changes the pitchers and pretending to examine the contents, asks the tapster what kind of wine he has given him […]

   • 1882, W. S. Gilbert, "Emily, John, James, and I: A Derby Legend" in The "Bab" Ballads, Philadelphia: David McKay, publishing date not given, p. 275, [2]

     The Derby Day sun glittered gaily on cads, / On maidens with gamboge hair, / On sharpers and pickpockets, swindlers and pads— / (For I, with my harp, was there).

Synonyms

• chiseler, spiv
• See also Thesaurus:fraudster

Translations

cheat, card-sharper

• Bulgarian: измамник (bg) m (izmamnik)
• Portuguese: malandro (pt)
• Russian: шу́лер (ru) m (šúler)

Anagrams

• harpers, phraser