5. (American thieves’).—The chief of a gang of thieves.

6. (old).—A recruiting sergeant. [From Farquhar’s Sergeant Kite in The

Recruiting Officer].

1827. Reynolds, The Fancy, ‘The Field of Tothill.’ She was ador’d

by ... sober sergeants; privates too in drink, While pampered by

those red kites their recruiters.

Slang and its analogues past and present, volume 4 [of 7] · 第 215 / 647 题