[f. WARM v. + -ER1.]
1. A person who warms. poet.
a. 1595. Southwell, St. Peter’s Compl., 11. Coales were kindled to the warmers cost.
1658. Cokaine, Poems, 249. Tis Loves best musick, all ears charmer, All hearts enthraller, and blouds warmer.
1903. Bridges, Ep. Socialist, 413. Unashamed to have outliv’d Your breeders, feeders, warmers and toiling attendants.
2. A contrivance for warming.
Chiefly with defining word prefixed, as foot-, plate-, vegetable-warmer.
1812–83: see FOOT sb. 35.
1837–75: see PLATE sb. 19 b.
1844. T. Webster, Encycl. Dom. Econ., 845. The well-known japanned plate warmer for the parlour in small families. Ibid. A lower kind sold in the shops under the name of vegetable warmers, for keeping those dishes of vegetables warm that are not put on the table.
1871. Daily News, 13 Jan. Covered up till we were nearly suffocated, and with a warmer for our feet.
1894. Times, 16 April, 7/3. The whey is dipped out into large warmers and these placed in the boiler.
