subs. (old).—1. A showy prostitute. (Cf., sense 2.)
1790. DIBDIN, Sea Songs, ‘Old Cunwell the Pilot.’ My Poll, once a DASHER, now turned to a nurse.
2. (colloquial).—An ostentatious or extravagant man or woman; an impetuous person; a ‘clipper’; also latterly,—the word has shown progress towards literary English throughout—a man or woman of fashion; a person of brilliant qualities, mental or physical. Fr., genreux-se; une femme catapulteuse (a fine woman, as also une cocodète). Spanish equivalents are damaza and sibila, while tiene garabata is said of women who ‘hook’ men by their manner and grace (garabato = a meat-hook).
1843. DICKENS, Martin Chuzzlewit, ch. xxix., p. 289. ‘Why, you look smarter by day,’ said Poll, ‘than you do by candlelight. I never see such a tight young DASHER.’
1856. EDGEWORTH, Almeria, p. 292. She was astonished to find in high life a degree of vulgarity of which her country companions would have been ashamed: but all such things in high life go under the general term dashing. These young ladies were DASHERS.
