pusher

[poo sh-er] /ˈpʊʃ ər/
noun
1.
a person or thing that pushes.
2.
Slang. a peddler of illegal drugs.
3.
Aeronautics. an airplane that is driven by pusher propellers.
4.
Nautical. one of the masts abaft the mizzen on a sailing vessel having more than three masts, either the sixth or seventh from forward.
Compare driver (def 10b), spanker (def 1b).
5.
Railroads. a helper attached to the rear of a train, usually to provide extra power for climbing a steep grade.
Origin
1585-95; push + -er1
Examples from the web for pusher
  • It would have a pusher-style propeller drive, designed to be perfect for the long, rural commutes.
  • Aircraft have had two types of propeller configurations: pusher propellers and tractor propellers.
  • Other furnaces considered for the application include retort furnaces and pusher furnaces.
  • Mechanical pusher used to feed post-tensioning strands through the panels.
  • The tool pusher is generally in charge of the drilling rig and is in charge of every moving part of the rig.
  • During these maneuvers, both the stick shaker and stick pusher were activated, and the speed decreased.
  • The pusher's duties primarily occur inside the structure being erected.
British Dictionary definitions for pusher

pusher

/ˈpʊʃə/
noun
1.
(informal) a person who sells illegal drugs, esp narcotics such as heroin and morphine
2.
(informal) an actively or aggressively ambitious person
3.
  1. a type of aircraft propeller placed behind the engine
  2. a type of aircraft using such a propeller
4.
a person or thing that pushes
5.
(Brit) a rakelike implement used by small children to push food onto a spoon
6.
(Austral) the usual name for pushchair
Word Origin and History for pusher
n.

1590s in a literal sense, agent noun from push (v.). Meaning "peddler of illegal drugs" (1935 in prison slang) is from the verb in the "promote" sense.

Slang definitions & phrases for pusher

pusher

noun
  1. A narcotics peddler or distributor; candy man, connection: queen of the Broadway narcotics pushers (1935+ Narcotics)
  2. A distributor or passer of counterfeit money; paperhanger (1940s+ Underworld)
Related Terms

cookie-pusher, gospel-pusher, pencil-pusher, pen-pusher, pill-pusher, wood-pusher