Definition

1. Noun:
   • A shallow-draft sailboat with a sharp prow, flat bottom, and triangular sail; formerly used along the northern Atlantic coast of the United States: A type of small, fast sailing vessel historically used for fishing and coastal transport.
   • A pen with indelible ink that will write on any surface: A brand name for a type of permanent marker, often used generically to refer to any similar marker.
   • A professional card player who makes a living by cheating at card games: A person who is skilled at and habitually uses dishonest methods to win at gambling.
   • An alert and energetic person: A slang term for someone who is very quick-witted, shrewd, or astute.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Sailboat):
  • The old fisherman restored a traditional sharpie to sail the shallow bays.
  • Sharpies were favored for oyster harvesting because of their flat bottoms.
• Noun (Pen):
  • Please label the box with a sharpie so the ink doesn't smear.
  • She used a black sharpie to sign her autograph on the poster.
• Noun (Card Cheat):
  • The casino banned the known sharpie for using marked decks.
  • He was no amateur; he was a sharpie who could palm a card without being seen.
• Noun (Alert Person):
  • In business, you need to be a sharpie to spot the best opportunities.
  • She's a real sharpie when it comes to negotiating contracts.

Advanced Usage

• The term can imply a positive connotation of intelligence and shrewdness ("a financial sharpie") or a negative connotation of dishonesty and trickery ("a card sharpie"), depending entirely on context.
• When capitalized ("Sharpie"), it specifically refers to the brand of permanent markers.

Variants and Related Words

• Sharp (adjective): Having a keen edge or point; also meaning intellectually acute or perceptive. This is the root adjective from which "sharpie" is derived.
• Sharpy (noun): An alternative, less common spelling of "sharpie."

Synonyms

• For the sailboat: sloop, skiff, dinghy.
• For the pen: permanent marker, indelible marker, felt-tip pen.
• For the card cheat: cardsharp, cheat, swindler, hustler.
• For the alert person: shrewd operator, astute person, go-getter, eager beaver.

Related Phrases

• Card sharp: A more common variant for a person who cheats at cards. (Note: This is a related phrase, not a phrasal verb of the target word "sharpie").
• Sharp practice: Dishonest or barely honest business dealings.

Noun

1. a shallow-draft sailboat with a sharp prow, flat bottom, and triangular sail; formerly used along the northern Atlantic coast of the United States
2. a pen with indelible ink that will write on any surface
3. a professional card player who makes a living by cheating at card games
4. an alert and energetic person