one-er
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
That which stands for ONE, a blow that requires no repeating. In The Old Curiosity Shop, the "Marchioness" tells Dick Swiveller that "her missus is a ONE-ER"—there a variation of "stunner."
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 “one-er” mean?
That which stands for ONE, a blow that requires no repeating. In The Old Curiosity Shop, the "Marchioness" tells Dick Swiveller that "her missus is a ONE-ER"—there a variation of "stunner."
Is “one-er” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.