shiner

From Middle English schyner, equivalent to shine +‎ -er. Compare Old English sċīnere (“one who produces deceptive appearances, magician”).

• enPR: shīn'ə(r), IPA^(key): /ˈʃaɪnə(ɹ)/

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• Rhymes: -aɪnə(ɹ)

shiner (plural shiners)

1. One who shines; a luminary.
2. One who causes things to shine; a polisher.
3. (colloquial) A black eye.
4. (colloquial) Raccoon eyes.
5. (slang, dated) A bright piece of money, especially a sovereign.
   • 1776, Samuel Foote, The Capuchin:

     Has she the shiners, d'ye think?

   • 1789, Harris's List of Covent-Garden Ladies, London: H. Ranger, p. 30:

     She may be generally found in the fore part of the day at her lodgings above mentioned, where a brace of shiners will ensure you the possession of charms above their value, cent per cent.

6. Any of numerous species of small freshwater American cyprinoid fishes of Notropis, Lythrurus, and allied genera, such as the redfin.
7. Any silvery fish, such as the horsefish, menhaden, or moonfish.
8. The common silverfish, Lepisma.
9. (slang) A moonshiner.
10. A small reflective surface used for cheating at card games.

    Synonym: convex

    • 2003, Jon Sharpe, Trailsman #258: Casino Carnage:

      Fargo wasn't sure what difference it made if one gambler passed something to another, unless it was to be used in cheating, a shiner maybe. But nobody at that table would let a shiner pass.

11. (wine) A bottle of finished wine, without a label.
    • 2008, James Laube, “Shiners Are a Secret Part of the Wine Business”, in Wine Spectator‎:

      Shiners are a big part of the wine business. […] Shiners are finished, bottled wines that don’t have a label or typically any other identifying feature until a vintner purchases them and then places a label on the bottles. […] They’re called shiners because they are unlabeled and have a “shiny” appearance.

• Hiners, Hirens, renshi, rhines, shrine