rappee

American

[ra-pee] / ræˈpi /

noun

a strong snuff made from dark, rank tobacco leaves.

rappee British

/ ræˈpiː /

noun

a moist English snuff of the 18th and 19th centuries

"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

Etymology

Origin of rappee

1730–40; < French râpé grated (past participle of râper ); rape ³

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.

He innocently requested Lenette to "send and get him an ounce of rappee; he would repay her next morning, when he sent the money for the reviews."

From Project Gutenberg

He would understand, by analogy, the pungency of other things, besides Irish blackguard or Scotch rappee.

From Project Gutenberg

I will," says Uncle Joe, again resorting to his rappee, "I will.

From Project Gutenberg

Charles III. of Spain had a great predilection for rappee snuff, but only indulged his inclination by stealth, and particularly while shooting, when he imagined himself to be unnoticed.

From Project Gutenberg

He pinched rappee as he spoke, in rapid doses from a snuff-box, and spread the brown powder in extravagant carelessness over his vest.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023