Heeler

noun, slang

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A gamecock that strikes well with its heels or spurs.
  2. 2
    A quick runner.

    "That a crowd of Sydney stealers, Jockeys, pugilists and spielers Brought some horses, real heelers, Came and put us through."

  3. 3
    A dog that readily comes to heel.

    "If your dog is a good heeler, you'll find some competition in the obedience ring."

  4. 4
    A dog used for cattle droving. Australia

    "[A] blue roan, a kind of dog that Jennifer had never seen before. She asked Tim what it was, and he said it was a "heeler", but when she pressed him to say if that was a breed or not, he could not tell her. It was a heeler because it went for the heels of the cattle and not their heads, apparently."

  5. 5
    A dependent and subservient hanger-on of a political patron. US, dated, slang

    "The army of hungry heelers who do their bidding."

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  1. 6
    The rodeo performer who ropes the steer by its hind feet after the header has turned it.
  2. 7
    A student journalist at Yale University. US

Etymology

From heel + -er.

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