damper
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A shop till; to DRAW A DAMPER, i.e., rob a till. A till is more modernly called a "lob," and stealing from tills is known as "lob-sneaking."
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “damper” mean?
A shop till; to DRAW A DAMPER, i.e., rob a till. A till is more modernly called a "lob," and stealing from tills is known as "lob-sneaking."
Is “damper” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.