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Synonyms

slicker

1 American  
[slik-er] / ˈslɪk ər /

noun

  1. a long, loose oilskin raincoat.

  2. any raincoat.

  3. Informal.

    1. a swindler; a sly cheat.

    2. city slicker.

slicker 2 American  
[slik-er] / ˈslɪk ər /

noun

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

slicker British  
/ 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

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of slicker1

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

Origin of slicker2

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

Explanation

A slicker is a waterproof garment you wear when it's pouring outside — in other words, a raincoat. Those dark clouds look ominous. Better grab your slicker before you go! Any kind of raincoat can be called a slicker, but it's an especially appropriate term for a waxy, smooth garment that repels drops of rain, like the yellow slickers fishermen often wear. If someone is described as a city slicker, it means that they're sophisticated, accustomed to life in the city, and that they have fancy taste — so don’t ask them to help you milk the cows on your farm.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Slicker was not the only culprit as Lewis Ferguson deflected the ball past him after the Scotland defence made a mess of clearing a corner to hand Iceland a 2-1 lead after John Souttar's equaliser.

From BBC • Jun. 8, 2025

Cieran Slicker suffered a torrid debut at Hampden after replacing the injured Gunn, McCrorie having picked up a strain in the warm-up.

From BBC • Jun. 8, 2025

Slicker didn't really have any time to acclimatise to international football.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2025

Moments later, the sparse Hampden crowd cheered ironically when Slicker successfully caught the ball.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2025

Mr. Slicker, the landlord of the Farmers' Hotel, will take the girl, and I think James Sweeny will take the boy to run errands about the livery stable.

From Queer Stories for Boys and Girls by Eggleston, Edward

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.