levanter
Preserved but no longer current.
A card-sharper, or defaulting gambler. It was formerly the custom to give out to the creditors, when a person was in pecuniary difficulties, and it was convenient for him to keep away, that he was gone to the East, or the LEVANT; hence, when one loses a bet, and decamps without settling, he is said to LEVANT. The LEVANT was also a notorious place for queer customers, who would do anything rather than pay. Its reputation is not particularly odorous even now.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
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 “levanter” mean?
A card-sharper, or defaulting gambler. It was formerly the custom to give out to the creditors, when a person was in pecuniary difficulties, and it was convenient for him to keep away, that he was gone to the East, or the LEVANT; hence, when one loses a bet, and decamps without settling, he is said to LEVANT. The LEVANT was also a notorious place for queer customers, who would do anything rather than pay. Its reputation is not particularly odorous even now.
Is “levanter” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.