screever

English

Etymology

From screeve +‎ -er.

Noun

screever (plural screevers) (obsolete, slang)

  1. One who screeves, or draws with chalks on a pavement or sidewalk.
    • 1851, Henry Mayhew, London Labour and the London Poor, published 1861:
      The Street-Artists—as black profile-cutters, blind paper-cutters, “screevers” or draughtsmen in coloured chalks on the pavement, writers without hands, and readers without eyes.
  2. A writer of begging letters.
    • 1851, Henry Mayhew, London Labour and the London Poor, published 1861:
      Such a ‘fakement,’ professionally filled up and put into the hands of an experienced lurker, will bring the ‘amanuensis,’ or ‘screever,’ two guineas at least, and the proceeds of such an expedition have in many cases averaged 60l. per week.
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