What does slobberer mean?
A slobberer is a person who dribbles or spills saliva, particularly while eating, drinking, or talking. The word can also describe someone who eats in a very messy fashion, scattering food or allowing liquid to run across the table. It is an informal, usually derogatory term and is often applied to children or to people whose eating habits are conspicuously untidy. Its bluntness makes it useful for comic or critical writing, but unsuitable for neutral or formal description. Although relatively uncommon in everyday conversation, the word vividly names a particular kind of messy eater and gives that person a memorable label. It belongs to a family of English words associated with saliva, wetness, and untidy consumption, including the base verb “slobber” and the related noun “slob.”
nounA person who dribbles or spills saliva, especially while eating or talking. It can also refer more broadly to someone who eats messily and allows food or liquid to spill.
- A person who dribbles or spills saliva, especially while eating, drinking, or talking.
- A person who eats messily, allowing food or liquid to be spilled.
"The slobberer left a trail ofpeas and gravy across the tablecloth."
"The slobberer kept wiping his chin throughout the meal."
"She handed the slobberer a napkin and quietly moved her plate away from the edge of the table."
The regular plural is used for multiple people described as slobberers.
"The slobberers were told to use napkins and keep their plates in place."
Slobberer combines an indelicate sound with an equally indelicate image: a person whose saliva or food is not staying neatly on the plate.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does slobberer come from?
English formed slobberer from “slobber” by adding the agentive suffix “-er.” “Slobber” is an old word for saliva that is dribbled or spilled and for the related action of eating or drinking messily; its deeper origin is uncertain.
How slobberer is actually used
This is an informal and generally derogatory word. It is most often used to describe a child or someone eating in a conspicuously messy manner, and its unpleasant associations make it unsuitable for formal contexts.