gabber

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡæb.ə(ɹ)/
• Rhymes: -æbə(ɹ)

Etymology 1

gab +‎ -er

Noun

gabber (plural gabbers)

1. (obsolete) A liar; a deceiver.
2. One who is addicted to idle talk.
   • 1943 November 20, “Gabbers Sell in New Garb”, in The Billboard, Nielsen Business Media, Inc., page 8:

     The gabbers’ job today, and in the future, is to sneak up on the listening prospect and sell before he knows it.

3. (US, dated) A radio commentator or disc jockey.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Dutch gabber (literally “friend”), from Yiddish חבֿר (khaver). Doublet of chaver.

Alternative forms

• gabba

Noun

gabber (countable and uncountable, plural gabbers)

1. (uncountable, music) A subgenre of hardcore techno characterised by an intense, distorted kick sound and controversial lyrics or samples.
   • 2020 January 10, Joe Muggs, “Gabber: return of dance music’s gloriously tasteless subgenre”, in The Guardian‎^[1]:

     This, in turn, birthed all kinds of mainly regional variations that have lasted from the 90s to today, most notably gabber—a relentless mix of superfast BPMS, distorted kickdrums and roared vocals that evoked the distilled nihilism of Rotterdam skinheads.

2. (countable) A gabber music lover, usually dressed in a tracksuit, often with a complete shaved head or partially for women, seen primarily in the 1990s.

Further reading

• Jonathon Green (2024) “gabber n.²”, in Green’s Dictionary of Slang

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from Yiddish חבֿר (khaver, “friend”), from Hebrew חָבֵר (khavér, “friend”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈxɑ.bər/

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: gab‧ber
• Rhymes: -ɑbər

Noun

gabber m (plural gabbers, diminutive gabbertje n)

1. (Netherlands) a guy
2. (Netherlands) a friend; a pal
3. (music) gabber (hardcore subgenre)
4. A fan of gabber music, a gabber

Derived terms

• gabberen

Descendants

• → English: gabber