"greaser" meaning in English

See greaser in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Audio: En-au-greaser.ogg Forms: greasers [plural]
Rhymes: -iːsə(ɹ) Etymology: From grease + -er. Applied to mechanics because they frequently become greasy during the course of their work. Applied to toughs because they frequently greased their hair, and, like greaseball, to Italians for the same reason. Applied to Mexicans because, at the time the phrase originated, they commonly worked greasing the axles of carts. Etymology templates: {{suffix|en|grease|er}} grease + -er Head templates: {{en-noun}} greaser (plural greasers)
  1. Someone or something that greases (applies grease). Translations (someone or something that greases): rasvaaja (Finnish), voitelija (Finnish), rasvari (Finnish)
    Sense id: en-greaser-en-noun-ckrZXr1U Categories (other): Pages with 1 entry Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 12 2 5 25 22 11 7 16 Disambiguation of 'someone or something that greases': 57 1 4 5 14 7 0 11
  2. (slang) A mechanic. Tags: slang Translations (slang: mechanic): monttööri (Finnish), rasvari (Finnish)
    Sense id: en-greaser-en-noun-obvyqwZm Disambiguation of 'slang: mechanic': 1 64 6 7 6 10 2 4
  3. (slang) A biker, a tough. Tags: slang
    Sense id: en-greaser-en-noun-THUbtd1b
  4. (slang) A rocker or metalhead, especially one who listens to 1950s rock and roll or 1980s thrash metal. Tags: slang Translations (slang: rocker or metalhead): rasvaletti (Finnish), rasvis (Finnish)
    Sense id: en-greaser-en-noun-mIMK1ASV Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 8 1 3 26 16 13 13 21 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 9 1 4 47 16 7 4 12 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 12 2 5 25 22 11 7 16 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 13 1 2 31 15 15 5 18 Disambiguation of 'slang: rocker or metalhead': 2 8 8 50 13 9 2 9
  5. (aviation, slang) A very soft landing. Tags: slang Categories (topical): Aviation Synonyms: greased landing
    Sense id: en-greaser-en-noun-kALreLvQ Categories (other): Pages with 1 entry Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 12 2 5 25 22 11 7 16 Topics: aeronautics, aerospace, aviation, business, engineering, natural-sciences, physical-sciences
  6. (US, offensive, ethnic slur) A Latin American, especially a Mexican. Tags: US, ethnic, offensive, slur Categories (topical): People
    Sense id: en-greaser-en-noun-yAJsum9E Disambiguation of People: 2 12 10 8 5 58 3 3 Categories (other): American English, English ethnic slurs, Pages with 1 entry, Terms with Finnish translations Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 12 2 5 25 22 11 7 16 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 4 4 4 16 7 40 11 14
  7. (US, offensive, ethnic slur) An Italian. Tags: US, ethnic, offensive, slur
    Sense id: en-greaser-en-noun-fgt2Gob0 Categories (other): American English, English ethnic slurs
  8. (US, offensive, ethnic slur) A Greek. Tags: US, ethnic, offensive, slur
    Sense id: en-greaser-en-noun-4XjvxscT Categories (other): American English, English ethnic slurs, English terms suffixed with -er, Pages with 1 entry Disambiguation of English terms suffixed with -er: 6 1 3 14 12 19 19 25 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 12 2 5 25 22 11 7 16
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: flange greaser Related terms: bodgie

Inflected forms

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "flange greaser"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "grease",
        "3": "er"
      },
      "expansion": "grease + -er",
      "name": "suffix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From grease + -er. Applied to mechanics because they frequently become greasy during the course of their work. Applied to toughs because they frequently greased their hair, and, like greaseball, to Italians for the same reason. Applied to Mexicans because, at the time the phrase originated, they commonly worked greasing the axles of carts.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "greasers",
      "tags": [
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      "expansion": "greaser (plural greasers)",
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  "lang": "English",
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  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0",
      "word": "bodgie"
    }
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          "_dis": "12 2 5 25 22 11 7 16",
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        {
          "ref": "1942, Emily Carr, “Regatta”, in The Book of Small, Toronto, Ont.: Oxford University Press, →OCLC:",
          "text": "The pole was greased and men tried to walk out to the end of it and dislodge the crate. The pole was supple, the crate swayed as each man crept out clinging desperately and finally fell off into the sea. […] People roared with laughter and greasers applied fresh grease for the next person's try.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1961 March, “Talking of trains”, in Trains Illustrated, page 131:",
          "text": "... incidentally, our correspondent tells of a West Indian who applied for a job at Kings Cross as motion greaser - but with no idea of what he would have to grease and why. Invited to find out and return within a month, he did, and nowadays the Kings Cross engines are as efficiently greased as any on B.R.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
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        "Someone or something that greases (applies grease)."
      ],
      "id": "en-greaser-en-noun-ckrZXr1U",
      "links": [
        [
          "grease",
          "grease"
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      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "57 1 4 5 14 7 0 11",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "someone or something that greases",
          "word": "rasvaaja"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "57 1 4 5 14 7 0 11",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "someone or something that greases",
          "word": "voitelija"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "57 1 4 5 14 7 0 11",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "someone or something that greases",
          "word": "rasvari"
        }
      ]
    },
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        "A mechanic."
      ],
      "id": "en-greaser-en-noun-obvyqwZm",
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          "mechanic"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(slang) A mechanic."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "slang"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "1 64 6 7 6 10 2 4",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "slang: mechanic",
          "word": "monttööri"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 64 6 7 6 10 2 4",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "slang: mechanic",
          "word": "rasvari"
        }
      ]
    },
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        "A biker, a tough."
      ],
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          "biker",
          "biker"
        ],
        [
          "tough",
          "tough"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(slang) A biker, a tough."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "slang"
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      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1970 March 29, Nik Cohn, “England's New Teen Style Is Violence”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:",
          "text": "By such standards, the Greasers are pretty minor stuff. Basically, they're just the 1970 version of that time-honored English figure, the Leather Boy. During the fifties, he was known as the Teddy Boy; in the early sixties, he became the Rocker; and now, after a couple of earlier attempts at revival, he's back yet again, the Greaser.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A rocker or metalhead, especially one who listens to 1950s rock and roll or 1980s thrash metal."
      ],
      "id": "en-greaser-en-noun-mIMK1ASV",
      "links": [
        [
          "rocker",
          "rocker"
        ],
        [
          "metalhead",
          "metalhead"
        ],
        [
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          "rock and roll"
        ],
        [
          "thrash metal",
          "thrash metal"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(slang) A rocker or metalhead, especially one who listens to 1950s rock and roll or 1980s thrash metal."
      ],
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          "_dis1": "2 8 8 50 13 9 2 9",
          "code": "fi",
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          "word": "rasvaletti"
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          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "slang: rocker or metalhead",
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          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
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      ],
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        "A very soft landing."
      ],
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          "aviation",
          "aviation"
        ],
        [
          "soft",
          "soft"
        ],
        [
          "landing",
          "landing"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(aviation, slang) A very soft landing."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "greased landing"
        }
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      "tags": [
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        "aerospace",
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        {
          "ref": "1907, Stewart Edward White, chapter 11, in Arizona Nights:",
          "text": "A pair of Greasers were ahead of me, but I could see only their outlines, and they didn't seem to interfere any with the scenery.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
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        "(US, offensive, ethnic slur) A Greek."
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{
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        {
          "ref": "1961 March, “Talking of trains”, in Trains Illustrated, page 131:",
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          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Someone or something that greases (applies grease)."
      ],
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        "A mechanic."
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        "(slang) A mechanic."
      ],
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    {
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      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A biker, a tough."
      ],
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        "(slang) A biker, a tough."
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          "ref": "1970 March 29, Nik Cohn, “England's New Teen Style Is Violence”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:",
          "text": "By such standards, the Greasers are pretty minor stuff. Basically, they're just the 1970 version of that time-honored English figure, the Leather Boy. During the fifties, he was known as the Teddy Boy; in the early sixties, he became the Rocker; and now, after a couple of earlier attempts at revival, he's back yet again, the Greaser.",
          "type": "quote"
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      ],
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      ],
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        [
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        ],
        [
          "thrash metal",
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        "(slang) A rocker or metalhead, especially one who listens to 1950s rock and roll or 1980s thrash metal."
      ],
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        "slang"
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    {
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        "en:Aviation"
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        "A very soft landing."
      ],
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        "(aviation, slang) A very soft landing."
      ],
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          "ref": "1907, Stewart Edward White, chapter 11, in Arizona Nights:",
          "text": "A pair of Greasers were ahead of me, but I could see only their outlines, and they didn't seem to interfere any with the scenery.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A Latin American, especially a Mexican."
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        [
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        "(US, offensive, ethnic slur) A Latin American, especially a Mexican."
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        "(US, offensive, ethnic slur) An Italian."
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        "(US, offensive, ethnic slur) A Greek."
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    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-iːsə(ɹ)"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "someone or something that greases",
      "word": "rasvaaja"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "someone or something that greases",
      "word": "voitelija"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "someone or something that greases",
      "word": "rasvari"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "slang: mechanic",
      "word": "monttööri"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "slang: mechanic",
      "word": "rasvari"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "slang: rocker or metalhead",
      "word": "rasvaletti"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "slang: rocker or metalhead",
      "word": "rasvis"
    }
  ],
  "word": "greaser"
}

Download raw JSONL data for greaser meaning in English (5.9kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-11-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-10-02 using wiktextract (fbeafe8 and 7f03c9b). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.