pusher

American  

[poosh-er] / ˈpʊʃ ər /

noun

• pushers
  plural

1. a person or thing that pushes.

2. Slang. a peddler of illegal drugs.

3. Aeronautics. an airplane that is driven by pusher propellers.

4. Nautical. one of the masts abaft the mizzen on a sailing vessel having more than three masts, either the sixth or seventh from forward.

5. Railroads. a helper attached to the rear of a train, usually to provide extra power for climbing a steep grade.

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pusher British  

/ ˈpʊʃə /

noun

1. informal a person who sells illegal drugs, esp narcotics such as heroin and morphine

2. informal an actively or aggressively ambitious person

3. 1. a type of aircraft propeller placed behind the engine

   2. a type of aircraft using such a propeller

4. a person or thing that pushes

5. a rakelike implement used by small children to push food onto a spoon

6. the usual name for pushchair

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• pushers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of pusher

First recorded in 1585–95; push + -er ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pusher pushers

The sisters of the man suspected of being the so-called "Putney pusher" have told the BBC their brother was innocent, and the police showed "no urgency" to clear his name.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

Another popular Silicon Valley term, “SCALING,” was engraved in all caps on each’s crown pusher.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

In 2012, after missing three mortgage payments, she was encouraged to do a short sale by her bank, Washington Mutual, a subprime-mortgage pusher and the largest bank to fail in U.S. history.

From Slate ● Aug. 5, 2024

They ran them twice through a trusty decades-old stainless steel mincer that the sisters’ father had used, employing a food pusher he had fashioned from a discarded piece of timber.

From New York Times ● Apr. 5, 2023

Let me tell you something else about Cade Hernandez: As the school's de facto commander in the Stop Trying to Make Us Stop revolution, he was an expert button pusher.

From "100 Sideways Miles" by Andrew Smith

Pawn pushers at a couple of low-stakes chess tournaments in Iowa and Louisiana recently sat down at their boards only to discover a surprising competitor: one of the highest rated chess players ever to live.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2025

Since joining the House of Lords she has used her speeches to warn about proposed cuts to the civil service, criticising those who call public servants "pen pushers".

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2025

But as the Kent E-FIT debacle reminds us, such pencil pushers still have a lot to teach our modern-day crime stoppers, and even the fanciest image model can’t beat a trained sketch artist just yet.

From Slate ● May 1, 2024

Here’s a recap of some of our favorite new record-breakers and, pardon the pun, envelope pushers from the academy’s latest choices.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 12, 2024

I touched the picture in the pocket of my pedal pushers and stood up at the sound of Mrs. Baylor’s approaching steps.

From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English