mugger

1
[ muhg-er ]
See synonyms for mugger on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a person who mugs, especially one who assaults a person in order to rob them.

Origin of mugger

1
An Americanism dating back to 1860–65; mug + -er1

Other definitions for mugger (2 of 2)

mugger2

or mug·gar, mug·gur

[ muhg-er ]

noun
  1. a broad-snouted crocodile, Crocodylus palustris, of southern Asia, that grows to a length of about 16 feet (4.88 meters).

Origin of mugger

2
First recorded in 1835–45, mugger is from the Hindi word magar

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use mugger in a sentence

  • The latter river is full of muggers; but the former is reputed locally to contain only ghavials.

    Life in an Indian Outpost | Gordon Casserly
  • The greater part of them are “muggers,” or “potters,” who carry earthen-ware about the country for sale.

    The Gipsies' Advocate | James Crabb
  • By the same light, the sailor saw that the three men were muggers, and that they were not pleasant-looking people.

    The Romance of the Coast | James Runciman
  • The moor is in much better order now-a-days, for the muggers are all driven away north to Yetholm and Wooler.

    The Romance of the Coast | James Runciman

British Dictionary definitions for mugger (1 of 2)

mugger1

/ (ˈmʌɡə) /


noun
  1. informal a person who commits robbery with violence, esp in the street

  2. mainly US and Canadian a person who overacts

British Dictionary definitions for mugger (2 of 2)

mugger2

muggar or muggur

/ (ˈmʌɡə) /


noun
  1. a large freshwater crocodile, Crocodylus niloticus, inhabiting marshes and pools of India and Ceylon: Also called: marsh crocodile

Origin of mugger

2
C19: from Hindi magar

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012