a member of a class of aristocratic landholders, especially in East Prussia, strongly devoted to militarism and authoritarianism, from among whom the German military forces recruited a large number of its officers.
a young German, especially Prussian, nobleman.
a German official or military officer who is narrow-minded, haughty, and overbearing.
history any of the aristocratic landowners of Prussia who were devoted to maintaining their identity and extensive social and political privileges
an arrogant, narrow-minded, and tyrannical German army officer or official
(formerly) a young German nobleman
1880–85, for an earlier sense; junk 1 + -er 1
1545–55; < German; Old High German junchērro, equivalent to junc young + hērro Herr
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
So when a crew of construction workers comes to tow the junker away, the outraged children run home to share their misfortune with their parents, only to be quickly rebuffed.
From Salon • Jan. 24, 2023
An episode might follow someone who had long suffered driving an unreliable, junker of a car.
From New York Times • Jul. 11, 2022
I said, “Listen, if you have any old junker I could use, I swear I will come back here tomorrow and buy the most expensive bike you have.”
From Washington Post • Sep. 11, 2021
“It was a half a junker, but it was fast as hell,” Doyle said.
From Washington Times • Oct. 1, 2016
Every so often he’d bang the pipe loudly on another junker, as if he were trying to scare something out of the shadows.
From "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
