younker
Preserved but no longer current.
In street language, a lad or a boy. Term in general use amongst costermongers, cabmen, and old-fashioned people. Barnefield’s Affectionate Shepherd, 1594, has the phrase, "a seemelie YOUNKER." Danish and Friesic, JONKER. In the navy, a naval cadet is usually termed a YOUNKER.
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 “younker” mean?
In street language, a lad or a boy. Term in general use amongst costermongers, cabmen, and old-fashioned people. Barnefield’s Affectionate Shepherd, 1594, has the phrase, "a seemelie YOUNKER." Danish and Friesic, JONKER. In the navy, a naval cadet is usually termed a YOUNKER.
Is “younker” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.