Street
diver
What does diver mean?
A diver is a pickpocket, one who 'dives' into pockets to lift wallets and purses.
"The old diver could lift a watch and chain without the mark feeling a thing."
Origin
British thieves' cant, 17th–19th century.
Frequently asked questions
What is a 'diver' in thieves' cant?
A diver is a pickpocket, someone who 'dives' into pockets to lift wallets, purses and other valuables.
Where does the term 'diver' come from?
It is British thieves' cant, in use from roughly the seventeenth to the nineteenth century, from the image of a hand diving into a pocket.
Is 'diver' still used for a pickpocket?
It is largely a historical cant term now, though it survives in accounts of old street crime and thieves' slang.
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