Meanings
plural thimbleriggers · alternative thimble-rigger
- Someone who cheats by thimblerigging, or similar tricks involving sleight of hand.
“[…] Them rich fellers, they don't make no bad breaks with their money. They watch it all th' time b'cause they know blame well there ain't hardly room fer their feet fer th' pikers an' tin-horns an' thimble-riggers what are layin' fer 'em. […]”
1899, Stephen Crane, chapter 1, in Twelve O'Clock1 more example
"Mrs Kane has been filling us in on some background information on Owen." The woman nodded, drumming her nicotined fingers. "And I have been assuring her that the boys who arrive here thimbleriggers and termagants are the least of our worries. But we do not send them out that way. Do we, Brother?"
1980, Bernard MacLaverty, chapter 6, in Lamb, paperback edition, King Penguin, published 1981, page 50
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
From thimblerig + -er or thimble + rigger.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan triler
- trilerone who cheats by thimblerigging
Irish fear méaracán, fear na méaracán
- fear méaracánone who cheats by thimblerigging
- fear na méaracánone who cheats by thimblerigging
Polish osoba prowadząca grę w trzy kubki i groszek
- osoba prowadząca grę w trzy kubki i groszekone who cheats by thimblerigging
Spanish trilero, trilera
- trileroone who cheats by thimblerigging
- trileraone who cheats by thimblerigging
Cite this entry
thimblerigger. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thimblerigger
“thimblerigger.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thimblerigger. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “thimblerigger,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/thimblerigger.
Source: thimblerigger on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.