What does dodger mean?
A dodger is someone who avoids or evades a duty, payment, or obligation, usually through cunning, deception, or sheer nimbleness of escape. The word rarely stands alone in modern usage; it most often appears in compound forms that name the specific thing being evaded — a 'tax dodger' conceals income from the authorities, a 'fare dodger' slips past transport inspectors without paying, and a 'draft dodger' (chiefly American) avoided military conscription. Because evasion implies shirking responsibility, the term carries a strongly disapproving, sometimes contemptuous tone, though it can also hint at a roguish charm, as in Dickens's celebrated character the Artful Dodger, the quick-witted young pickpocket from Oliver Twist. In British English, dodger has a second, unrelated sense: a small printed handbill or flyer used to advertise an event. Informal in register, the word is at home in newspapers, everyday conversation, and political debate about fairness and taxation.
A person who habitually avoids or evades a duty, payment, or obligation, typically by cunning or deceit.
"Investigators spent years building a case against the notorious tax dodger."
Usually found in compounds naming what is evaded: tax dodger, fare dodger, draft dodger.
(British) A small printed handbill or leaflet, especially one advertising an event or business.
"She picked up a dodger from the counter listing the festival lineup."
Chiefly British; somewhat dated but still in use.
(US, regional) A cornmeal bread or dumpling cooked over an open fire.
"The campers toasted dodgers over the flames until golden."
Regional American usage, often heard as part of campfire cooking traditions.
Standard plural, used for all senses of the noun.
"The transit police fined several fare dodgers during the morning rush."
London's most famous fictional orphan was named after this very word — Dickens' Artful Dodger taught us all how to slip out of trouble with a grin.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of dodger
Dodger derives from the verb 'dodge', which appeared in English in the late sixteenth century meaning to evade or move nimbly aside. The agent-noun suffix '-er' was added to produce a person who dodges, attested by the early seventeenth century. The verb's ultimate origin is uncertain — it may be imitative or dialectal in origin — so its deeper ancestry cannot be stated with confidence. The related adjective 'dodgy', meaning evasive or unreliable, developed later in nineteenth-century British slang.
Related word forms
How dodger is actually used
Most common in informal and journalistic registers, usually as part of compounds like 'tax dodger', 'fare dodger', or 'draft dodger'. The word often carries a disapproving or mildly contemptuous tone. In British English the handbill sense is somewhat dated but still encountered.
Easily confused with dodger
'Dodge' is the verb meaning to avoid or evade, while 'dodger' is the noun referring to a person who does so.
A 'codger' is an eccentric or grumpy old man, whereas a 'dodger' is someone who evades duties or obligations.