dodger

[doj-er]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR dodger ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a person who dodges.

a shifty person, especially one who persistently evades a responsibility, as specified: tax dodger; draft dodger.

a leafhopper.

a small handbill; throwaway.

Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S. corn dodger.

Nautical. a shield, as of canvas, erected on a flying bridge to protect persons on watch from wind, flying spray, etc.

Australian. a large slice, lump, or portion of food, especially of bread.

Origin of dodger

First recorded in 1560–70; dodge + -er¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for dodger

forger, rascal, thief, crook, cheater, counterfeiter, charlatan, leaflet, pamphlet, flier, hypocrite, trickster, impostor, swindler, rogue, defector, runaway, deserter, refugee, outcast

Examples from the Web for dodger

Contemporary Examples of dodger

The latest Dodger superstar haul has obviously come at a very steep personal price for some caught in the crossfire.
MLB’s Next Headache: Cartels, Gangsters, and Their Cuban Superstars
Peter C. Bjarkman
April 18, 2014
Michael David got the call in the middle of a meeting at the Dodger Productions office at 1501 Broadway.
New York’s Greatest Show Or How They Did Not Screw Up ‘Guys and Dolls’
Ross Wetzsteon
April 6, 2014
Dodger pitcher Brian Wilson has created a fierce fan following around his long, black beard.
Learning To Fear Dodger Pitcher Brian Wilson’s Beard
Sujay Kumar
October 16, 2013
And iconic Dodger manager Tommy Lasorda, for one, has his back.
L.A. Dodgers Sale Sets Up a Billionaire Cage Match
Chris Lee
January 14, 2012
“They would guard the Dodger name the way they guard the Disney name,” the story quotes an anonymous source saying.
L.A. Dodgers Sale Sets Up a Billionaire Cage Match
Chris Lee
January 14, 2012

Historical Examples of dodger

Old Dodger killed a plug hoss tryin' to beat them to the river.
Shawn of Skarrow
James Tandy Ellis
And one of Nimble's points had stung Dodger like a hornet's sting.
The Tale of Nimble Deer
Arthur Scott Bailey
Nimble had been so interested in his own horns that he hadn't looked at Dodger's.
The Tale of Nimble Deer
Arthur Scott Bailey
"I've been having fun with Dodger the Deer," Nimble explained.
The Tale of Nimble Deer
Arthur Scott Bailey
But for every buffet he repaid Dodger, Dodger gave him another that was heavier than ever.
The Tale of Nimble Deer
Arthur Scott Bailey

British Dictionary definitions for dodger

dodger

noun

a person who evades or shirks

a shifty dishonest person

a canvas shelter, mounted on a ship's bridge or over the companionway of a sailing yacht to protect the helmsman from bad weather

archaic, US and Australian a handbill

Australian informal food, esp bread

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

Word Origin and History for dodger

1560s, "one who dodges," in the literal or figurative (especially underworld) senses of dodge. The U.S. word meaning "corn cake" is recorded from 1831, perhaps a different word (cf. Northern English dialectal dodge "lump, large piece," 1560s).