pepper caster (peperkaster)

1. That one of the casters of a cruet-stand which is made to contain pepper.-2. An early and clumsy form of modern revolver, in which the cylinder was made very long in order to fill the place of a barrel, and which was consequently very heavy. The word is sometimes used as a slang term for any revolver. Badger and I would trudge to our room arm in arm, carrying our money in a shot-bag between us, and each armed with a Colt's patent pepper-caster. J. Jefferson, Autobiog., ii. peppercorn (pep'ér-kôrn), n. and a . [ * pepercorn , piporcorn , piper corn (= D. pe perkorrel = MLG.peperkorn = MHG.phefferkorn , Icel. piparkorn = Sw. peppar G. pfefferkorn = korn = Dan. peberkorn ), An I have not forgotten what the inside of a church is made of, I am a peppercorn. Shak., 1 Hen. IV., iii. 3. 9. They that enjoy most of the world have most of it but in title, and supreme rights, and reserved privileges, pep per corns , homages, trifling services and acknowledgments. Jer. Taylor , Holy Living, iv. 8. While they live the courtly laureat pays His quit-rent ode, his peppercorn of praise. Cowper, Table-Talk, 1. 110. II. a. Of trifling or inconsiderable value or consequence. How great a language to convey such peppercorn informations! Emerson, Misc., p. 33. Peppercorn rent, a nominal rent. pepper-cre (pep'èr-kres), n . pepper-crop (pep'er-krop), n. per. See cre . The wall-pep