raver
(ˈreɪvə(r))
Forms: 5 rafar, ravare, 6 Sc. ravar, 6–7 rauer, 9 raver.
[f. rave v.1 + -er1.]
a. One who raves; a madman; an extravagant speaker.
| c 1400 Apol. Loll. 96 Sum tyme men wen to see a þing wan þei see it not, as is schewid bi jogulors, dremers, & rafars. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 424/2 Ravare, delirus, delirator. c 1570 Satir. Poems Reform. xxxvii. 69 Rek not, þairfoir, how raschelie ravarris raill. 1632 Sherwood, A rauer, resveur. 1800 Moore Anacreon liii. 19 He still can act the mellow raver, And play the fool as sweet as ever! |
b. A passionate enthusiast for a particular thing, idea, or cause; a fanatic. Also, one who likes to ‘live it up’ or have a wild time esp. in sexual relationships (cf. rave v.1 3 b). slang.
| 1959 C. MacInnes Absolute Beginners 63, I did actually begin to be a raver for those weekly meetings. 1960 [see mod n.3 and a.]. 1961 Guardian 6 Mar. 3/4 The bearded ravers usually associated with the more esoteric ranges of HiFi. 1968 Busby & Holtham Main Line Kill v. 44 There's a bloke I know makes his own LSD. Some of the ravers are giving it a try. 1971 Cape Herald 15 May 7/4 She looks like a raver But I could never please her. 1976 P. Cave High Flying Birds iii. 31 She was neither attractive nor plain; not a raver or a ragbag. 1976 Listener 22 Jan. 84/2 Things hot up when a raver and his girl swoop in by motor-bike. 1978 Sunday Mail (Brisbane) 24 Sept. 34/4, I have never analysed why, but many pop musicians are ravers—people who like to live it up—with a strong self-destructive streak. |
______________________________
Add: c. One who attends a rave party (see *rave n.3 2 d).
| 1991 Sun 13 June 21/2 Heat can't escape through the material and the raver comes out of the club feeling like a roast chicken. 1991 New Musical Express 31 Aug. 18/4 When you're at a rave there's 10,000 ravers going mental—you can't beat the energy. 1992 Nose xiii. 21/2 Hallucinations are frowned upon by ravers. LSD is used sparingly as a stimulant. More often, ‘e’..is the raver's drug of choice. 1993 Gnosis Winter 56/2 To make it a little bit harder for the police to raid, the place where the party is held is kept secret until the very last moment. Then it's up to the raver to find out where it is. |