greaser
greaser Lexical Profile
greaser Game Scores & Validity
• noun
North American A member of a working-class youth subculture that originated in the 1950s, characterized by greased-back hair, leather jackets, and an interest in rock and roll and hot rods or motorcycles.
"The classic film depicted the rivalry between the leather-clad greasers and the affluent prep-school students."
A worker whose job is to lubricate machinery, engines, or axles with grease or oil, or a mechanical device used for applying grease.
"Before the train departed the yard, the greaser inspected and lubricated all the axle boxes along the undercarriage."
American (offensive, dated) A derogatory term for a Mexican or a person of Latin American descent.
"Historians examining 19th-century borderland newspapers frequently encounter the slur greaser used by Anglo-American settlers."
Word Nuance & Usage
While widely used in a neutral cultural sense to describe members of a 1950s youth subculture known for oiled hair and leather jackets, the term also has a history as an offensive ethnic slur against Mexican and Latin American people and should never be used in that context.