English

Noun

dimber cove ‎(plural dimber coves)

1. (archaic, Britain, cant) A gentleman.
   • 1837, Disraeli, Benjamin, Venetia:

     'Tis a dimber cove,' whispered one of the younger men to a companion.

   • 1901, Hume, Fergus, The Millionaire Mystery:

     Is it Mr. Gramp you want, m'dimber-cove?

   • 1918, Farnol, Jeffery, Our Admirable Betty:

     "Come now, Benno my dimber cove," cried Jerry at last, "what's the game? What ha' ye brought me here for? Tip us the office!"

2. (archaic, Britain, cant) A handsome man.
   • 2012, Ross, Kate, A Broken Vessel:

     I seen his son once—Mr. Charles Avondale. Cor, he's a dimber cove! Hair like gold, and eyes as'd put blue violets to shame. He ever come here?

   • 2013, McCann, Maria, Ace, King, Knave:

     'Dimber cove, though, ain't he?'¶ 'Except his hair,' the other girl said. 'I don't care for this newfangled fashion, neither wig nor powder.'¶ 'But a fine colour,' Betsy-Ann said, thinking it would be a pity to powder such hair: like dulling a raven's wing.

Related terms

• dimber mort

References

• Grose, Francis (1788) A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, 2nd edition, London: S. Hooper
• Barrère, Albert; Leland, Charles Godfrey (1889) A Dictionary of Slang, Jargon & Cant, volume 1, page 310
• Farmer, John Stephen (1891) Slang and Its Analogues, volume 2, page 287