persuader

[ per-swey-der ]

/ pərˈsweɪ dər /

a person or thing that persuades: The cool lake was a most enticing persuader for those who liked to swim.

Slang.

(in underworld use) a gun, blackjack, or other weapon.
something that persuades, as by coercing or threatening: Sometimes the teacher used a hickory persuader to get our attention.

QUIZZES

Even if you can't be a professional chef, you can at least talk like one with this vocabulary quiz.

Question 1 of 9

You may have read the word "simmer" in a recipe or two, but what does it really mean?

First recorded in 1530–40; persuade + -er¹

It broke my hold, and I staggered back groping for the persuader.
A Yankee in the Trenches|R. Derby Holmes
Also a persuader stick or a trench knife, which he may use if he is near enough to do it silently.
A Yankee in the Trenches|R. Derby Holmes
The persuader teaches the persuaded that their interest coincide.
Analyzing Character|Katherine M. H. Blackford and Arthur Newcomb
The old "persuader" did her work as effectually as at Dominica.
There She Blows!|William Hussey Macy

The persuader is a short, heavy bludgeon with a nail-studded head.
A Yankee in the Trenches|R. Derby Holmes