Gurrier
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A street urchin. dated
"Some weeks ago I was a victim of crime within 150 yards of the gates of Leinster House. I was approached or set upon by a little gurrier with a syringe. It is not a pleasant experience to have someone push a syringe against one's face at 12.30 a.m. on the streets of Dublin, particularly when one is within a stone's throw of the seat of Administration."
- 2 A loutish young man; a ruffian.
"The Garda sergeant wanted to know the distinction between a Gouger and a Gurrier. Mr. Howard, who was a true-blue Dubliner, supplied the answer: "A Gurrier is a little man cut short, a mickey dazzler. He cuts a dash among the girls and is always willing and able to strike a blow for a pal. But our Gurrier, unlike the Gouger, never gets into trouble with the police.""
Example
More examples"Some weeks ago I was a victim of crime within 150 yards of the gates of Leinster House. I was approached or set upon by a little gurrier with a syringe. It is not a pleasant experience to have someone push a syringe against one's face at 12.30 a.m. on the streets of Dublin, particularly when one is within a stone's throw of the seat of Administration."
Etymology
Uncertain; the following possible etymologies have been suggested: * From Scottish English gurry (“a brawl; to dispute; to growl, grumble”) + -er (agent noun suffix). * From French guerrier (“warrior”), in which case it would be a doublet of warrior.
Related phrases
More for "gurrier"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.