Dictionary

49er en · NOUN

Etymology

Etymology tree English 49 Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusnom. Latin -āriusbor. Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz Proto-West Germanic *-ārī Old English -ere Middle English -ere English -er English 49er From 49 + -er.

Meanings

1. A class of two-handed double-trapeze dinghy (from its maximum length of 16 feet, approx. 4900 millimetres).
2. (historical) A miner or other person who took part in the California Gold Rush of 1849.
   • The old prospector told them how, in the days of the 49ers, […] the Mexicans had been treated in a way they had practically never forgiven. The land was free. Discovery and appropriation of a mining claim gave title, provided it was staked out and a notice scratched on a tin plate affixed to the claim stake, and likewise provided that the size of the claim accorded with the crude ruling for that region. 1922, Allen Chaffee, Unexplored!:
3. A player for the San Francisco 49ers, an NFL team.
4. A student or player on a sports team at California State University, Long Beach (more commonly known as “Long Beach State”, founded in 1849).
5. A student or player on a sports team at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (more commonly known as “Charlotte” in a sports context).

Forms

Synonyms

argonaut