slicker

¹

[slik-er]

noun

1. a long, loose oilskin raincoat.

2. any raincoat.

3. Informal.

   1. a swindler; a sly cheat.

   2. city slicker.

slicker

²

[slik-er]

noun

1. a tool, usually of stone or glass, for scraping, smoothing, and working tanning agents into a skin or hide.

slicker

/ ˈslɪkə /

noun

1. informal,  a sly or untrustworthy person (esp in the phrase city slicker )

2. a shiny raincoat, esp an oilskin

3. a small trowel used for smoothing the surfaces of a mould

Other Word Forms

• slickered adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of slicker¹

First recorded in 1880–85; slick + -er ¹

Origin of slicker²

First recorded in 1850–55; slick + -er ¹

Example Sentences

“Happiness is slicker, bouncier. Joy is wider, deeper.”

From Salon

As studio horror has gotten slicker and funnier, closer to an amusement park ride than anything truly unnerving, it’s probably better to judge these films for their date-like qualities.

From Los Angeles Times

These city slickers will learn to respect the local myths.

From Los Angeles Times

In one number, Swinton, who goes glossy-eyed to show the cracks in her high-fashion veneer, poses in a transparent rain slicker while bleating raw, yowling noises that blend with the despairing strings.

From Los Angeles Times

For Brown’s Petaluma shop, there are no sales of bait or commercial gear — “no more boots, no more rain slickers, all that business is gone and there’s nothing to replace it.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• cloak 
• frock 
• jacket 
• overcoat 
• raincoat 
• suit 
• tuxedo 
• windbreaker 
• wrap