What does acker mean?
Acker is an informal British word meaning money. It belongs to the family of colloquial terms for cash that circulate in everyday speech, alongside words like 'dosh' and 'dough'. Typically used in the plural form 'ackers', it appears in casual conversation about wages, spending, or being short of funds — for example, 'I can't afford it, I'm out of ackers.' The word carries a light, working-class register and would sound out of place in formal contexts, but it remains a recognisable piece of British slang. Its exact origin is uncertain, though it has been in use since at least the mid-twentieth century. For readers encountering British conversation, film, or fiction, knowing that 'acker' simply means money helps decode a common bit of informal vocabulary that might otherwise be mistaken for something unrelated.
nounA British slang term for money.
- Money (British slang)
"He spent the whole week's ackers on a new guitar."
"I'd love to come on holiday, but I haven't got the ackers."
"She earned a few extra ackers doing weekend shifts."
The plural form 'ackers' is the most common way the word appears in use.
"It cost me all my ackers."
In Britain, when someone asks if you've got any ackers, they're not talking about farmland — they want to know if you've got cash.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of acker
The precise origin of 'acker' is uncertain, and dictionaries record it as of unknown derivation. It emerged as British slang, with citations dating from around the mid-twentieth century, and is most commonly encountered in the plural form 'ackers'. Some sources have speculated a link to other slang terms for money, but no connection has been firmly established.
Related word forms
How acker is actually used
Informal and colloquial, used almost exclusively in British English. Often heard in the plural form 'ackers'. Not used in formal writing.
Easily confused with acker
An acre is a unit of land area, while 'acker' is slang for money.