raker

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

TO GO A, is, in racing parlance, to put more money than usual on a certain horse. "Going a RAKER" often leads to "coming a cropper."

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 “raker” mean?

TO GO A, is, in racing parlance, to put more money than usual on a certain horse. "Going a RAKER" often leads to "coming a cropper."

Is “raker” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.