An obsolete British slang term for an umbrella, playing on the idea of the device catching rain before it hits you. It belongs to a rich tradition of 18th-19th century cant and slang where everyday objects got colourful nicknames. Now entirely archaic and encountered mainly in historical dictionaries or period fiction.
He stepped out with his rain napper tucked under his arm as the sky was already turning grey.
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(UK, slang, obsolete) An umbrella.
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Regional slang from around the English-speaking world — British, Australian, Irish, Caribbean, Nigerian, Filipino, AAVE, and the hyphenated-English dialects that make the internet sound local.
See all Regional & Other slang on Slangora.