rapparee

American  

[rap-uh-ree] / ˌræp əˈri /

noun

1. an armed Irish freebooter or plunderer, especially of the 17th century.

2. any freebooter or robber.

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rapparee British  

/ ˌræpəˈriː /

noun

1. an Irish irregular soldier of the late 17th century

2. obsolete any plunderer or robber

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Etymology

Origin of rapparee

First recorded in 1680–90, rapparee is from the Irish word rapaire

Example Sentences

No thimblerigging rapparee, No jobber in kidnappery No filcher I !

From Time Magazine Archive

How him an' his blood-cousin, Tim Moriarty, lay wan night for an' ould rapparee av a landlord, who'd evicted pore Tim out av house an' home.

From The Luck of the Mounted A Tale of the Royal Northwest Mounted Police by Kendall, Ralph S.

"A thundering bloody rapparee" was the name by which Carroll delighted to call him.

From The Landleaguers by Trollope, Anthony

I knew ut—I felt ut at th' toime—that shtinkin' rapparee av a hobo was lyin'—whin he said he did not renumber a harse bein' brought back.

From The Luck of the Mounted A Tale of the Royal Northwest Mounted Police by Kendall, Ralph S.

An advocate for absolute monarchy and church power; also an Irish vagabond, robber, Or rapparee.

From 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue by Grose, Francis