screamern.
/ˈskriːmə/, U.S. /ˈskrimər/ 1. One who screams; one who sings in shrill piercing tones.
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the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > voice or vocal sound > cry or shout (loudness) > cry of emotion or pain > [noun] > scream or shriek > person
wrawlerc1440
screaker1549
shreamer1573
screecher1585
squaller1688
shrieker1708
screamer1712
squealer1864
skriker1891
society > leisure > the arts > music > musician > singer > singer by type of voice > [noun] > shrill singer
screamer1830
1712 J. Swift Jrnl. to Stella 15 Nov. (1948) II. 572 She must have been tortured with the noise of the Grubstreet Screamers, mention her Husbands murder to her Ears.
1818 W. Scott Heart of Mid-Lothian i, in Tales of my Landlord 2nd Ser. III. 11 The screamer aforesaid, who added good features and bright eyes to the powers of her lungs.
1830 A. Cunningham Lives Brit. Painters (ed. 2) I. 208 An age which lavished its tens of thousands..on Italian screamers.
1851 H. Mayhew London Labour I. 223/2 The ballad singers—or street screamers, as we calls 'em.
2. An animal that utters a cry like a scream.
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the world > animals > by noises > [noun] > that utters a shrill cry
yawper1678
screamer1801
squealer1897
1801 R. Southey Thalaba I. iii. 185 Forth from her shadowy haunt Flies the large-headed Screamer of the night.
1817 W. Scott Rob Roy II. xiv. 313 These tiresome screamers of the morass [the lapwing and curlew].
1892 W. H. Hudson Naturalist in La Plata i. 15 At night when camping out I have heard its [the aguará's] dismal screams, but the screamer was sought in vain.
3. spec.
a. A name for the birds of the South American family Palamedeidæ; esp. the kamichi n. or Horned Screamer, and Chauna chavaria, the Crested Screamer.The name Crested Screamer is also given to the Seriema or Cariama ( Palamedea cristata Linn., Dicholophus cristatus Illiger) of Brazil.
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the world > animals > birds > freshwater birds > order Anseriformes (geese, etc.) > [noun] > member of family Anhimidae (screamer)
unicorn-bird1681
anhima1773
screamer1773
horned screamer1785
kamichi1834
1773 T. Pennant Genera of Birds 43 Palamedea of Linnæus, Anhima and Cariama of Brisson... I call it Screamer, from the violent noise it makes. Only two species.
1785 J. Latham Gen. Synopsis Birds III. i. 18 Horned Scr[eamer]. Palamedea cornuta Lin.
1785 J. Latham Gen. Synopsis Birds III. i. 20 Crested Scr[eamer]. Palamedea cristata Lin.
1869–73 T. R. Jones tr. A. E. Brehm Cassell's Bk. Birds IV. 91 The Brazilian Cariama, or Crested Screamer (Dicholophus cristatus).
1869–73 T. R. Jones tr. A. E. Brehm Cassell's Bk. Birds IV. 95 The Screamers (Palamedeæ) constitute a group of strange birds.
1869–73 T. R. Jones tr. A. E. Brehm Cassell's Bk. Birds IV. 96 The Aniuma or Horned Screamer (Palamedea cornuta) is characterised by a horn upon the brow.
1892 W. H. Hudson Naturalist in La Plata i. 20 The spur-winged crested screamer; a noble bird as large as a swan.
b. A local name for the swift.
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1813 G. Montagu Suppl. Ornithol. Dict. Screamer.
1852 F. O. Morris Hist. Brit. Birds II. 75.
4. slang.
a. A person, animal, or thing of exceptional size, attractiveness, etc.; a splendid specimen; e.g. a well-grown or beautiful female; a ‘heavy swell’; a large fish; a large sum of money. slang.
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the mind > goodness and badness > quality of being good > excellence > [noun] > excellent person or thing
carbunclea1350
swanc1386
phoenixc1400
diamondc1440
broocha1464
surmounterc1500
sovereign?a1513
primrose peerless1523
superlative1577
transcendent1593
Arabian birda1616
crack1637
first rate1681
peach1710
phoenicle1711
admiration1717
spanker1751
first-raterc1760
no slouch of1767
nailer1806
tip-topper1822
ripper1825
ripstaver1828
apotheosis1832
clinker1836
clipper1836
bird1839
keener1839
ripsnorter1840
beater1845
firecracker1845
pumpkin1845
screamer1846
stunner1847
bottler1855
beaut1866
bobby-dazzler1866
one out of the box1867
stem-winder1875
corker1877
trimmer1878
hot stuff1884
daisy1886
jim-dandy1887
cracker1891
jim-hickey1895
peacherino1896
pippin1897
alpha plus1898
peacherine1900
pip1900
humdinger1905
bosker1906
hummer1907
good egg1914
superstar1914
the berries1918
bee's knee1923
the cat's whiskers1923
smash1923
smash hit1923
brahma1925
dilly1935
piss-cutter1935
killer1937
killer-diller1938
a hard act to follow1942
peacheroo1942
bitch1946
brammerc1950
hot shit1960
Tiffany1973
bollocks1981
1846 C. M. Kirkland Western Clearings (new ed.) 44 ‘But she's a screamer of a girl,’ persisted Master George; ‘I'd rather have her than all the rest.’
1850 F. E. Smedley Frank Fairlegh xiii. 122 Well, you are a screamer, and no mistake,..Be merciful towards the young ladies.
1853 G. J. Whyte-Melville Digby Grand xx I am in for a ‘screamer’, and the bill for which I am arrested is only a ruse to prevent my leaving England.
1861 T. Hughes Tom Brown at Oxf. III. iii. 57 I..lost one screamer just up the back ditch there. He must have been a four-pounder.
b. A composition of a startling or exaggerated character; e.g. a thrilling or funny story, a ‘screaming’ farce. Also, a person who tells exaggerated stories.
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the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > disregard for truth, falsehood > fabrication of statement or story > a false or foolish tale > [noun] > of an exaggerated kind
a tale (also gest, song, etc.) of Robin Hoodc1400
tale of a tub1532
Canterbury tale or story?a1550
romanza1622
romance1638
onea1642
Robin Hood tale1653
cock-and-bull story1670
stretcher1674
whid1794
fish-story1819
snake story1826
screamer1831
twister1834
ráiméis1835
Munchausen1840
skyscraper1840
Munchausenism1848
cock1851
snake yarn1891
furphy1916
fanny1930
the old ackamarackus1933
windy1933
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > disregard for truth, falsehood > fabrication of statement or story > a false or foolish tale > [noun] > of an exaggerated kind > one who tells
romancera1623
legend-makera1625
legend-monger1680
screamer1831
blagueur1883
sprucer1917
the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > deceit, deception, trickery > cheating, fraud > trickery, playing jokes > [noun] > practitioner > who bluffs
screamer1831
blagueur1883
bluff1904
four-flusher1904
sprucer1917
1831 Louisville Public Advertiser 17 Oct. 2/3 The principal character in this production, is, to use his own elegant language, a screamer.
1843 C. Dickens Martin Chuzzlewit (1844) xvi. 207 A peculiar style of broad-side-essay called ‘a screamer’.
1849 Theatrical Programme 4 June 16/1 At the Adelphi crowds muster nightly to see..Wright and Bedford in a ‘screamer’.
1849 A. R. Smith Pottleton Legacy xxiii. 234 ‘Stranger,’ said the man..‘you are a screamer!’
1854 Househ. Words 8 77 Actors speak of such and such a farce being a ‘screamer’.
1872 ‘M. Twain’ (title) Screamers; a gathering of scraps of humour, delicious bits, and short stories.
1888 in Echoes fr. Oxf. Mag. (1890) 111 And I'll write you a regular screamer If you dare to come up in the Long.
c. An exclamation mark.
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society > communication > writing > written character > punctuation > [noun] > exclamation mark
admiration1587
note (also mark, point, sign) of admiration1611
exclamation point1656
note of exclamation1656
shriek-mark1864
screamer1895
exclamation mark1896
1895 I. K. Funk et al. Standard Dict. Eng. Lang. II.
1908 Bohemian XIV. 643/2 Few of us have forgotten..the origin of ‘yellow’ as descriptive of that class of journalism addicted to ‘screamers’.
1927 Amer. Speech 2 239 Exclamation points may be ‘screamers’, ‘astonishers’, or ‘shouts’.
1933 D. L. Sayers Murder must Advertise viii. 132 ‘Waste Nerve-Power!’ Capital N, capital P, and screamer. Got that?
1960 Guardian 17 Sept. 12/6 Some newspapermen call the ! a screamer.
1972 Guardian 18 Aug. 11/1 I once worked for an editor who cut out all the screamers—that's what you and I call exclamation marks.
d. A very powerful shot in a game.
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society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > ball game > [noun] > motion of ball > types of ball by motion
grounder1849
daisy-cutter1889
rainbow1891
poached egg1893
screamer1896
scorcher1900
swerver1902
slam1931
thunderbolt1959
1896 W. Park Game of Golf 269 Screamer, a very long stroke, so called from the whistling noise made by the ball.
1926 P. G. Wodehouse Heart of Goof i. 13 He stepped off the sixteenth, after hitting a screamer down the centre of the fairway.
1959 Sunday Times 9 Aug. 28 (advt.) When you hit a screamer..you'll be glad you played Slazenger 279.
1963 V. Canning Limbo Line xvii. 227 Amadeo hit a screamer, dead straight and slightly left of the middle of the fairway.
1977 Tennis World Sept. 17/1 A ‘heavy serve’, one might think, means a fast serve. Wrong again. The term to denote velocity is ‘big’ or occasionally ‘cannonball’ or ‘screamer’.
e. An informer, a tale-teller; a complainer.
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society > communication > information > informing on or against > [noun] > informer
wrayerc1000
wrobberc1300
discoverera1400
denunciator1474
informer1503
denouncer1533
detector1541
delatora1572
sycophant1579
inquisitor1580
scout1585
finger man1596
emphanista1631
quadruplator1632
informant1645
eastee-man1681
whiddler1699
runner1724
stag1725
snitch1785
qui tam1788
squeak1795
split1819
clype1825
telegraph1825
snitcher1827
Jack Nasty1837
pigeon1847
booker1863
squealer1865
pig1874
rounder1884
sneak1886
mouse1890
finger1899
fizgig1902
screamer1902
squeaker1903
canary1912
shopper1924
narker1932
snurge1933
cheese eater1935
singer1935
tip-off1941
top-off1941
tout1959
rat fink1961
whistle-blower1970
the mind > emotion > suffering > displeasure > discontent or dissatisfaction > state of complaining > [noun] > one who complains
grucchildc1230
grutchera1250
groinera1382
musera1382
plainerc1400
plaintiff?a1439
fretter?1504
complainant1525
complainer1526
repiner1551
grudger1552
moaner1628
grumbler1633
querulist1647
maunderer1653
growler1753
grumbletonian1773
smellfungus1807
crib-biter1809
expostulatora1834
squinny1849
groaner1876
grouser1885
squealer1889
gruntler1893
grump1900
grouch1901
screamer1902
Moaning Minnie1934
narker1937
binder1944
1902 J. S. Farmer & W. E. Henley Slang VI. i. 126 Screamer,..a thief who, robbed by another thief, applies to the police.
1961 John o' London's 30 Nov. 610/3 An informer..is now more often referred to..as a singer or a screamer.
1968 Telegraph (Brisbane) 19 June 58/7 The man I was talking to said, ‘Hang on a minute, I've got a screamer coming in.’ When he came back I asked him what a screamer was. It turned out to be someone who complains about defects in a car he has bought.
f. In full screamer headline. A large headline.
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society > communication > journalism > journal > parts and layout of journals > [noun] > headline > types of
subhead1744
side head1822
side heading1836
subheading1842
spread head1872
scare-head1887
cross-head1888
scare-line1892
scare-heading1894
cross-heading1898
one-liner1904
streamer1909
banner1913
screamer1926
drophead1930
1926 J. Kerney Political Educ. Woodrow Wilson 105 In screamer headlines the conference was rapped as a secret and reprehensible thing.
1945 L. Shelly Hepcats Jive Talk Dict. 17/1 Screamers, newspaper headlines.
1975 New Yorker 4 Aug. 20/1 ‘Gifts flow profusely at 124 West 42nd St. and 625 Madison Ave’ was the screamer on a flyer handed to us on Forty-second.
1979 J. Drummond I saw him Die ii. 24 The murder was on the front page. Screamer headline.
g. Jazz. A passage featuring loud high notes played on a wind instrument; such a note.
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society > leisure > the arts > music > piece of music > section of piece of music > [noun] > passages in jazz
jazz1918
break1926
chorus1926
stop time1929
tag1929
lick1932
riff1933
ride1935
release1936
sock chorus1936
rideout1939
screamer1940
stop chords1941
chase1942
stop chorus1942
mop1945
society > leisure > the arts > music > musical sound > sound of instruments > [noun] > sound of wind instruments > high note
scream1933
screamer1940
1940 Swing Nov. 28 It's another riff tune..plus (or minus) a screamer featuring the leader's horn.
1948 Down Beat 1 Dec. 13 Minor is a screamer but not without change of pace.
1958 K. Goodwin in P. Gammond Decca Bk. of Jazz xiii. 149 His ability to produce stratospheric screamers with apparent ease was utilized to add bite and drive to the brass sections.
h. A bomb that makes a screaming sound as it drops.
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society > armed hostility > military equipment > weapon > explosive device > [noun] > bomb > other bombs
iron bomb1759
suicide bomb1889
crump1914
radio bomb1914
marmite1915
pineapple bomb1916
pineapple1918
germ bomb1921
stick-bomb1928
bomblet1937
breadbasket1940
flash bomb1940
blockbuster1942
butterfly bomb1942
screamer1942
plastic bomb1944
napalm bomb1945
mail bomb1972
blast bomb1976
1942 ‘R. Crompton’ William carries On ii. 42 Her reactions to ‘screamers’.
1943 J. L. Hunt & A. G. Pringle Service Slang 57 Screamer, a whistling bomb, i.e. a bomb with a device attached to cause a screaming sound as it descends.
i. the screamers = screaming habdabs at screaming adj. 2d.
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1948 E. Partridge et al. Dict. Forces' Slang 163 Screamers, the, an evident dislike of operational flying.
1952 M. Tripp Faith is Windsock i. 17 ‘Cut it out, you two,’ said Bergen, ‘you give me the screamers.’
j. two-pot screamer, one who easily shows the effects of alcohol. Australian.
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1959 D. Hewett Bobbin Up (1961) ii. 34 Look at Lou. She's a two-pot screamer, always 'as been.
1972 J. de Hoog Skid Row Dossier 95 It says experienced and sober, ya bloody two-pot screamer.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1911; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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