piker

[ pahy-ker ]

noun

, Informal.

1. a person who does anything in a contemptibly small or cheap way.
2. a stingy, tight-fisted person; tightwad.

   Synonyms: skinflint, penny pincher, cheapskate

3. a person who gambles, speculates, etc., in a small, cautious way.

piker

/ ˈpaɪkə /

noun

1. a wild bullock
2. a useless person; failure
3. a lazy person; shirker
4. a mean person

Word History and Origins

Origin of piker¹

1275–1325; Middle English: petty thief, equivalent to pik ( en ) to pick ¹ + -er ¹; compare dial. (N England, Scots, Hiberno-English ) pike to pick ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of piker¹

C19: perhaps related to pike ³

Example Sentences

Siebold, who really was no piker, was slipping on his gloves and having them laced up.

From Project Gutenberg

There never was a piker in the Cottle family, was there, Wes?

From Project Gutenberg

The fat man got mad, the piker, and knocked me as flat as a pancake!

From Project Gutenberg

The old piker is trying to figure, with silver as low as it is, whether he's ahead or behind on the deal!

From Project Gutenberg

He ain't none of your piker kind that runs past a drug store like the soda-fountain was after him.

From Project Gutenberg