dasher
(ˈdæʃə(r))
[-er1.]
1. A person who dashes; spec. one who ‘cuts a dash’; a dashing person; a ‘fast’ young woman (colloq.).
| 1790 Dibdin Sea Songs, Old Cunwell (Farmer), My Poll, once a dasher, now turned to a nurse. 1802 M. Edgeworth Almeria (1832) 292 She was astonished to find in high life a degree of vulgarity of which her country companions would have been ashamed; but all such things in high life go under the general term of dashing. These young ladies were dashers. 1807 W. Irving Salmag. (1824) 361 To charter a curricle for a month, and have my cypher put on it, as is done by certain dashers of my acquaintance. 1887 Pall Mall G. 23 Nov. 3/2 The fast married woman of fashion..the unmarried dasher of the same species. |
2. That which dashes; spec. the contrivance for agitating the cream in a churn.
| 1846 Rep. Comm. Patents (U.S.) (1847) 233 What I claim as my invention..is the combination of the vertical dasher with the oscillating dashers. 1848 D. Drake Let. 7 Jan. in C. D. Drake Pion. Life Kentucky (1870) v. 93 The latter stages of the process [of churning], when the butter rises on the dasher. 1853 Jrnl. R. Agric. Soc. XIV. i. 74 The old-fashioned barrel-churn, the dashers of which are fixed. 1872 O. W. Holmes Poet Breakf.-t. i. (1885) 26 The empty churn with its idle dasher. |
3. = dash-board 1. U.S.
| 1858 O. W. Holmes One-hoss Shay, Boot, top, dasher, from tough old hide. 1859 ― Prof. Breakf.-t. i. (1891) 14 By no means..to put their heels through the dasher. |
4. Applied to a hunting-cap.
| 1802 Sporting Mag. XX. 314 Two new pair of Cordovan boots..and a black velvet dasher from the cap-maker. |
5. A dashing attempt, movement, etc. colloq.
| 1884 Punch 18 Oct. 186/1 Drop your curb, pluck up heart, And go at it a dasher! |