sundowner

[ suhn-dou-ner ]
See synonyms for sundowner on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. Chiefly British. an alcoholic drink taken after completing the day's work, usually at sundown.

  2. Australian. a tramp or hobo, especially one who arrives at a homestead near sundown in order to avoid having to work in exchange for shelter.

Origin of sundowner

1
First recorded in 1870–75; sundown + -er1

Words Nearby sundowner

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use sundowner in a sentence

  • An old sundowner, chancing to pass along the road, stopped in the hopes of a yarn.

    Colonial Born | G. Firth Scott

British Dictionary definitions for sundowner

sundowner

/ (ˈsʌnˌdaʊnə) /


noun
  1. Australian and NZ obsolete, slang a tramp, esp one who seeks food and lodging at sundown when it is too late to work

  2. nautical a strict ship's officer

  1. informal, mainly British an alcoholic drink taken at sunset

  2. NZ slang a lazy sheepdog

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