lurker

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

An impostor; a quack.

Register: slang

Examples

In every large town sham official documents, with crests, seals, and signatures, can be got for half-a-crown. Armed with these, the patterer becomes a ‘lurker,’—that is, an impostor; his papers certify any and every ‘ill that flesh is heir to.’

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “lurker” mean?

An impostor; a quack.

Is “lurker” formal or informal?

lurker is generally slang.