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Glite Dictionary
spear chucker

spear chucker

9.9
A very rude racist insult used against Black people
  • noun
  • Slur
translation icon : insulto racista para persona negra
  • He was hurt when someone shouted spear chucker at him on the street.

Examples

  • Modern workplaces have strict policies against using slurs like spear chucker.

  • The use of the term spear chucker is considered deeply offensive and unacceptable.

  • Don't ever call someone a spear chucker!

  • Using the term spear chucker is completely unacceptable.

  • He was devastated when someone called him a spear chucker in the racial slur.

  • Using the term spear chucker can lead to serious consequences in professional settings.

  • Many people find the term spear chucker to be not only offensive but also harmful to society.

Surface Forms

spear chucker singular
spear chuckers plural

Morphology

spear + chucker

The components 'spear' + 'chucker' transparently yield the literal sense 'someone who throws spears', so a learner who knows the words could infer a basic literal meaning. However, the attested use as an extremely offensive, culturally specific racial slur referring to Black people is not predictable from the parts alone and requires sociocultural knowledge, so the expression is only partially transparent.

Etymology

Spear chucker comes from a cruel and racist idea that showed Black people as people who threw spears, with spear the weapon and chucker meaning 'one who throws'. That's why the phrase is used as a hateful insult for Black people and is deeply offensive.