sky-scraper
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A tall man; "Are you cold up there, old SKY-SCRAPER?" Properly a sea-term. The light sails, which some adventurous skippers set above the royals in calm latitudes, are termed SKY-SCRAPERS and MOON-RAKERS.
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 “sky-scraper” mean?
A tall man; "Are you cold up there, old SKY-SCRAPER?" Properly a sea-term. The light sails, which some adventurous skippers set above the royals in calm latitudes, are termed SKY-SCRAPERS and MOON-RAKERS.
Is “sky-scraper” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.