See Also: nigger(1)(dictionary)
nigger(2)(dictionary)
nigger(dictionary)

firman (iou) and nigger(1) (iou)


firman (iou)



firman noun. . E17.
[Persian firman = Sanskrit pramaa (right) measure, standard, authority.]
An edict or order issued by a Near Eastern ruler or official, esp. a grant, licence, passport, or permit.

nigger(1) (iou)



nigger adjective & noun. Exc. Black English now derog. & considered racially offensive as used of people & usu. avoided in Other contexts. L17.
[Var. of NEGER. Cf. NIGER noun1, NIGGA, NIGRA. Cf. also NIG noun2.]
A. adjective. = NEGRO adjective. Also (US slang), contemptible, despicable, inferior. L17.
b. noun.
a black person. L18.
nigger in the woodpile, (US) nigger in the fence slang a concealed motive or unknown factor affecting a situation in an adverse way. White nigger: see WHITE adjective. work like a nigger work exceptionally hard.
b. loosely. A member of any dark-skinned people. M19.
c. A contemptible or inferior person; a socially or economically disadvantaged person. M19.
a. A form of steam engine used on a ship; a steam-capstan employed in hauling riverboats over bars or snags. US. M19.
b. A strong spiked timber by which logs are canted in a sawmill. US. M19.
Any of various black or mainly black animals, fishes, insect larvae, etc. (see also combs. below); spec. (more fully nigger caterpillar) the larva of the turnip sawfly, Athalia spinarum. colloq. M19.
A dark shade of brown. E20.
Cinematography. A screen used to absorb or direct light to cast shadows etc. slang. M20.
Special collocations & comb.: nigger brown = sense B.4 above. nigger caterpillar: see sense B.3 above. nigger cloth Hist. = NEGRO cloth. nigger fish = CONY 6. nigger goose N. Amer. colloq. a cormorant. nigger heaven US slang the top gallery in a theatre. nigger luck arch. US slang exceptionally good luck. nigger minstrel (chiefly Hist.) = blackface minstrel s.v. BLACK adjective. nigger-shooter arch. US slang a catapult. nigger-stick US slang a stick or truncheon carried by a police officer etc. nigger toe US a Brazil nut.
? Of early forms, only those with -gg- have been regarded as belonging here. Those with single -g- have been attributed to NEGER or NIGER noun1.
niggerdom noun (now rare) = NEGRODOM M19.
niggerish adjective (now rare) = NEGROISH E19.
niggerism noun (a) the state or condition of being black; (b) = NEGROISM (a); (c) = NEGROISM (b): M19.
niggery adjective of, pertaining to, or characteristic of black people. M19.