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 and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.
See all British & Irish slang slang on Slangora.
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(UK, slang, obsolete) An umbrella.
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