▪ I. † ˈjetter1 Obs.
Forms: α. 4–5 gettour, 4–6 getter, (5 gettare, 6 -ar); β. 4 iectour, 5 iettoure, -ir, 6 iettar, 4–7 ietter.
[ME. a. AF. *gettour = (in form) OF. geteor, -our, -eur, getteur, jetteur (also, 15th c., (after Lat.) gecteur, jecteur) thrower, caster (= It. gettatore):—pop.L. jettātōr-em = cl.L. jactātōr-em ‘one who makes an ostentatious display of himself, a boaster, a braggart’, agent-n. from jactāre: cf. jet v.1 The sense in Eng. (prob. in AFr.) was app. taken from L. jactātor, as no similar sense is recorded in continental French.]
One who boasts, vaunts, or makes an ostentatious display; a swaggering or roystering fellow; a braggadocio, bully, ‘blade’, ‘spark’.
| α 1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 761 Þys gentyl men, þys gettours Þey ben but Goddys turmentours. c 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 281 Grete festis of riche men, as officeris of þe bischop and getteris of countre. ― Wks. (1880) 23 Þei..hanten tauernys of wyn and ale, aboute strumpetis..and gay squyeris and oþere getteris. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 192/1 Gettare, gestulator, gestuosus. 1494 Fabyan Chron. vii. 616 This yere..was a great affray in Fletestrete, atwene y⊇ getters of the innys of court, and the inhabytauntes of the same strete. 1530 Palsgr. 225/1 Gettar a braggar, fringuereau. a 1533 Ld. Berners Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) H, The hatred that this emperour had to trewandes, reuelers, getters, iuglers, gesters. |
| β c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 242 Many ietteris of contre þat wolen make hem self gentel men and han litel or nouȝt to lyue onne. ― Sel. Wks. III. 195 Manye whanne þei ben drounken comen hom..fro here cursed strumpatis and jectouris of contre, and chiden. a 1400–50 Alexander 4415 Iupiter [was] a Iettoure þat Iapid many ladis. Ibid. 4504 Dame Iuno was a iettir and ioyned full of iree. 1530 Palsgr. 234/1 Iettar of nyght season, brigvevr. 1611 Cotgr., Fringuereau, a ietter, spruce minion, gay fellow, compt youth. |
▪ II. jetter2
[jet n.1]
A digger of jet.
| 1614 N. Riding Rec. (1884) II. 67 Fr. Trewett, jeater. |
▪ III. ˈjetter3
[jet v.2 + -er1.]
1. Cornish Mining. (See quot.)
| 1778 Pryce Min. Cornub. Gloss., Pokkers and Jetters, are blocks or pullies, over which the sweep rods of some engines move and play. |
2. That which jets or throws out; in quot., a geyser.
| 1869 Baring-Gould Orig. Relig. Belief (1878) II. i. 2 Sprinkled with boiling water from a jetter in Iceland. |