Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun slang Term used, primarily by US immigration officials in informal settings, to describe an illegal immigrant of any country.
  • noun slang An item of value, or of perceived value, especially for sale

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Origins are unknown, but definitely predate the use of metal flashlights, contrary to the most quoted description of origin.

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Examples

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  • 'Mist hung over the hills beyond the town, and from a slope rising from the other side of the road came the gentle tonk of a cowbell.'

    - Nightmare Alley, William Lindsay Gresham

    July 1, 2012