kicker

[ kik-er ]

noun

1. a person or thing that kicks.
2. Informal.
   1. a disadvantageous point or circumstance, usually concealed or unnoticed:

      The tickets are free, but the kicker is that you have to wait in line for hours to get them.

   2. a surprising change or turn of events:

      The kicker was that their friends knew it before they did.

3. something extra, as an additional cost or gain; an added expense or financial incentive.
4. Draw Poker. a card, usually an ace or face card, held with a pair or three of a kind in the hope of drawing a matching card.
5. (in concrete construction) a low plinth at the base of a column.
6. kickers, Slang. shoes, especially leisure shoes.
7. Nautical.
   1. a small, low-powered outboard motor.
   2. an auxiliary engine on a sailing vessel, river steamer, etc.
8. Slang. the alcoholic liquor in a mixed drink.
9. Also called eyebrow, highline, overline, teaser. Printing, Journalism. a short line of copy set in a distinctive type above a headline and intended to call attention to it.
10. Metallurgy. a charge of high-carbon iron that produces a vigorous boil when charged into an open-hearth furnace containing slag and molten metal of lower carbon content.
11. Also called kicker light. Photography. a light source coming from the back and side of a subject and producing a highlight.

kicker

/ ˈkɪkə /

noun

1. a person or thing that kicks
2. sport a player in a rugby or occasionally a soccer team whose task is to attempt to kick conversions, penalty goals, etc
3. slang.
   a hidden and disadvantageous factor, such as a clause in a contract
4. informal.
   any light outboard motor for propelling a boat
5. poker the highest unpaired card in a hand, used to decide the outcome of an otherwise tied round

Word History and Origins

Origin of kicker¹

First recorded in 1565–75; kick + -er ¹

Example Sentences

Let’s hear it for the kickers making long field goals.

From Los Angeles Times

Rookie kicker Joshua Karty kicked field goals from 34, 55, 53, 22 and 31 yards.

From Los Angeles Times

Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo also missed three field goals but had no shot at redemption as Kirk Cousins ran out of time on a frantic final drive when trying to get into kicking range.

From BBC

A factor to watch: Minnesota’s kicker and long snapper were injured last week.

From Los Angeles Times

"Sometimes that's the life of a kicker, we've all experienced that. It's part and parcel of the job," said Smith, who struggled off the tee in the first Test defeat by New Zealand in July.

From BBC