Piker
Meaning
A piker is a person who is overly cautious, cheap, or timid, often withdrawing from a challenge or not contributing their fair share.
Origin
The word "piker" emerged in American slang during the mid-19th century, quickly becoming a dismissive label for someone unwilling to take risks or spend money. Its roots likely lie in the world of gambling, describing a player who made only small bets, "piking" at the edges of the action rather than going all-in. Another theory links it to those who skirted turnpike tolls, literally "piking" around them to avoid payment, establishing its association with cheapness. By the turn of the 20th century, the term had solidified as a punchy insult for anyone lacking courage, ambition, or generosity, whether at a card table or in life's bigger ventures.
Examples
- Don't be a piker; if we're going to split the cost of the trip, you need to contribute your part.
- He was called a piker for backing out of the high-stakes poker game at the last minute.