pusher

[poo sh-er]

See more synonyms for pusher on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person or thing that pushes.
Slang. a peddler of illegal drugs.
Aeronautics. an airplane that is driven by pusher propellers.

Nautical. one of the masts abaft the mizzen on a sailing vessel having more than three masts, either the sixth or seventh from forward.Compare driver(def 10b), spanker(def 1b).
Railroads. a helper attached to the rear of a train, usually to provide extra power for climbing a steep grade.

Origin of pusher

First recorded in 1585–95; push + -er¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for pusher

Contemporary Examples

Now, she stars in the first big film of her career, Pusher, out Friday, and produced by Nicolas Winding Refn (director of Drive).
Agyness Deyn in ‘Pusher’: On Stripping, Acting, and How She’s Not Done Modeling
Isabel Wilkinson
October 24, 2012
After that, she says, she and Winding Refn plan to team up for a sequel to Pusher—but this time, the story will center around Flo.
Agyness Deyn in ‘Pusher’: On Stripping, Acting, and How She’s Not Done Modeling
Isabel Wilkinson
October 24, 2012

Historical Examples

His name should be "Pusher," "Advance Man," or something of that sort, and not artist.
Adventures in the Arts
Marsden Hartley
The girl, who had paused when he did, leaned on the pusher of her go-cart, studying him calmly.
The Dust Flower
Basil King
At the rear the "pusher off" half reclined, graceful and nonchalant.
The Adventures of Bobby Orde
Stewart Edward White
As a rule, all that a "pusher" or distributor can tell is where he got the bad money.
The Barrel Mystery
William J. (William James) Flynn
Barry, the "pusher" (under foreman), waved his outstretched hand.
The Walking Delegate
Leroy Scott

British Dictionary definitions for pusher

pusher

noun

informal a person who sells illegal drugs, esp narcotics such as heroin and morphine
informal an actively or aggressively ambitious person
1. a type of aircraft propeller placed behind the engine
2. a type of aircraft using such a propeller
a person or thing that pushes
British a rakelike implement used by small children to push food onto a spoon
Australian the usual name for pushchair

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 pusher

n.

1590s in a literal sense, agent noun from push (v.). Meaning "peddler of illegal drugs" (1935 in prison slang) is from the verb in the "promote" sense.

pusher

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}pusher

Examples from the Web for pusher

Contemporary Examples

Now, she stars in the first big film of her career, Pusher, out Friday, and produced by Nicolas Winding Refn (director of Drive).

After that, she says, she and Winding Refn plan to team up for a sequel to Pusher—but this time, the story will center around Flo.

Historical Examples

His name should be "Pusher," "Advance Man," or something of that sort, and not artist.

The girl, who had paused when he did, leaned on the pusher of her go-cart, studying him calmly.

At the rear the "pusher off" half reclined, graceful and nonchalant.

As a rule, all that a "pusher" or distributor can tell is where he got the bad money.

Barry, the "pusher" (under foreman), waved his outstretched hand.

pusher

Word Origin and History for pusher

n.

Origin of pusher