racketer

From racket +‎ -er.

racketer (plural racketers)

1. (obsolete) One who is dissipated and given to carousing.
   • 1754, Samuel Richardson, The History of Sir Charles Grandison, Bart - Volume 1, page 113:

     At a private concert last night with my cousins and Miss Clements; and again to be at a play this night; I shall be a racketer, I doubt .

   • 1898 February, K.L. Montgomery, “Sir Charles Grandison”, in Monthly Packet, volume 95, number 564, page 166:

     Harriet is like to be a 'racketer.

   • 1914, Amy McLaren, Through Other Eyes, page 93:

     "Racketing!" expostulated Ernest. "Come now, Mrs. Fancy! I'm not a racketer, am I? "

   • 1922, E. Farjeon, Martin Pippin in the apple orchard, page 71:

     "Well, racketer? " said the shepherd, with a chuckle. " Shall a man not racket at another man's wedding? " he cried. "Let some one be jolly, say I!:

2. One who is skilled in racket sports.
   • 1851, Stalk-Warroga, “Sketches of Irish Society”, in Tait's Edinburgh Magazine, volume 18, page 669:

     Having passed his two or three years there, and been signalised as the best cricketer, the best racketer, the greatest dunce, and sometimes the most accomplished smoker and drinker of his time, he goes home finished at sixteen, and sets up for himself.

   • 1866, George Hatton Colomb, The Shadows of Destiny; a Romance - Volume 1, page 314:

     Few things inspire respect more readily amongst boys than dexterity and proficiency in manly exercises; ane when any one can boast of having an eye and a hand for billiards, and a head for whist, as well as being a good rider, cricketer, racketer, runner and jumper, he is pretty sure to take a lead, if he is not wanting in personal qualities.

   • 2001 December, “Sport Fishing”, in SPIN, volume 17, number 12, page 142:

     The '01 rubber match is carried by Sega, due to its Tennis 2K2. Fast-paced and simple, its the most fun you can have with Swedish racketer Thomas Enqvist without copulating with or killing him."

3. One who instigates or perpetrates a racket (fraud or swindle), a hustler, swindler, or racketeer.
   • 1927 November 19, “Broadway Rackets”, in The New Yorker, volume 3, numbers 38-53, page 105:

     Finally he advised the hustler he had lined up a sucker who looked good for at least a ten-thousand-dollar score. (The racketer always classifies his individual earnings as a score when discussing business.)

   • 1933, United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Commerce, Investigation of So-called "rackets", page 617:

     There is a big racketer whose name is known to everybody here who used to be in my neighborhood. I sent word to him "Čome here and start your club."

   • 1948, United States. Congress. House. Committee on Education, Hearings, page 53:

     Jimmy Hoffa, head of the Teamsters' Union (AFL), once convicted in the United States Federal Court as a labor racketer, has confessed his guilt in his efforts by threats and intimidation to force proprietors of little grocery and meat stores to pay him tribute.

   • 2012, Richard Deming, Juvenile Delinquent:

     A reputed racketer named Sherman Bremmer owned the place, which made me wonder if I hadn't accidentally stumbled onto the leader of the gang which had maneuvered the Purple Pelicans and the Gravediggers into criminal activity.

• When referring to someone who commits fraud, the terms racketeer and racketer are often used interchangeably. However, racketer is used like an agent noun, and can refer to someone who commits a one-time offense, whereas racketeer carries a connotation of habitual or ongoing crime.

racketer m

1. indefinite plural of racket