oncer en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
- /ˈwʌnsɚ/ (General-American)
Etymology
From once + -er (relational suffix) or + -er (occupational suffix).
Meanings
-
(historical, informal) A one-pound note.
On whatever point Jane’s eyes rested, through whichever line her gaze ran, she saw cheques being signed, credit-card counterfoils being scrawled across, standing orders being arranged, and cash – wholesome dosh, ponies, monkies, oncers, coins of the realm – flowing around like mercury, like some element.
1993, Will Self, My Idea of Fun:
-
(poetic) A person who does something once.
Could he but once see Nature as / In truth she is for ever, / What oncer would not fall in love?
1944, W. H. Auden, The Sea and the Mirror: A Commentary on Shakespeare's The Tempest, Part 1. Prospero to Ariel:
- (informal) A single sexual encounter between two individuals, a one-night stand.
- (informal) A person with whom one shares a single sexual encounter, a one-night stand.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| oncers | Number=Plur | lexicographic |