pipe-hitter

pipe-hitter (plural pipe-hitters)

1. (informal) A person that smokes drugs (especially opium) from a pipe.
   • 1897, “San Francisco: The Golden Gate as Seen Through New York Eyes”, in The Tammany Times, volumes 10-11, page 4:

     We had several exhibitions of opium smoking, or "hitting the pipe." Every "pipe-hitter" seemed to feel glorious.

   • 1912, Thomas Watson Houston, Mey Wing: A Romance of Cathay, page 83:

     And so in his indolent way he drifted gradually into the habit and became a confirmed "pipe-hitter."

   • 1988, Charles Leland Sonnichsen, Pilgrim in the Sun: A Southwestern Omnibus:

     I frequently play 'em to 'double out' but I've been playing 'colors' lately, for they've had me locked up with a drunken coon, a Greaser horse-thief, and a Chinese pipe-hitter.

   • 2010, Arno Michaels, My Life After Hate, page 44:

     In the days that followed, we heard from here and there that the pipe-hitter survived but ended up spending a considerably longer time in the hospital than I did.

2. (informal) An intrepid individual; a go-getter.
   • 2008, Brad Thor, The First Commandment:

     This guy is one serious tackdriving pipe-hitter. If we're going to go after somebody this experienced, this dangerous, I think we deserve to know what he's really up to.

   • 2015, Jay Posey, Sungrazer:

     Despite his outer appearance of a hard-charging pipehitter, Sahil had a genuine gift for empathy.

   • 2016, Marc Wolfman, Suicide Squad: The Official Movie Novelization:

     I'll build you a team of pipe-hitters who'll do anything you can dream up.