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Definition of palooka - 3 dictionary results

pa⋅loo⋅ka

  [puh-loo-kuh]
Use palooka in a Sentence
–noun Slang.
1. an athlete, esp. a boxer, lacking in ability, experience, or competitive spirit.
2. a stupid, clumsy person.
Origin:
1920–25, Americanism; orig. uncert.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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pa·loo·ka   (pə-lōō'kə)   
n.  
  1. Sports An incompetent or easily defeated athlete, especially a prizefighter.
  2. Slang A stupid or clumsy person.

[Origin unknown.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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palooka 
"mediocre prizefighter," 1925, of unknown origin, credited to U.S. sportswriter and humorist Jack Conway. Non-boxing sense of "average person" is from Joe Palooka, hero of Ham Fisher's comic strip.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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