Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun Originally, a local officer appointed to assay ale and beer, and to take care that they were good and wholesome, and sold at a proper price.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun engraving Orig., an officer appointed to look to the goodness of ale and beer; also, one of the officers chosen by the liverymen of London to inspect the measures used in public houses. But the office is a sinecure. [Also called
aletaster .]
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun historical, UK An
officer appointedyearly at theleet of ancient English communities to ensure the goodness and wholesomeness ofbread ,ale , andbeer . - noun historical, UK One of the
officers chosen by theliverymen ofLondon ,England for thesinecure ofinspecting themeasures used inpublic houses .
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
ale + con, Old English cunnen to test, Anglo-Saxon cunnian to test. See con and -er.
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Examples
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I shot be shoddied, throttle me, fine me cowheel for ever, usquebauched the ersewild aleconner, for bringing briars to Bem-bracken and ringing rinbus round Demetrius for, as you wrinkle wryghtly, bully bluedomer, it’s a suirsite’s stircus haunting hes-teries round old volcanoes.
Finnegans Wake 2006
whichbe commented on the word aleconner
(Brit.) An official appointed to look to the goodness of ale and beer; also, one of the officers chosen by the liverymen of London to inspect the measures used in public houses. Also called aletaster.
May 11, 2008
bilby commented on the word aleconner
Bet they did more than 'look' at the goodness, hey.
July 22, 2022