noun

piker

PYE-ker/pˈaɪkɝ/

A person unwilling to risk much or contribute much effort or money.

The cautious gambler looks like a piker, betting one chip while protecting a large reserve.

At a small gambling table, a guarded player places a single low-value chip into the betting area while keeping a large reserve tucked protectively against herself; the other player's substantially larger wager makes her extreme caution visible.

Etymology

Before meaning a miserly person, piker labeled a poor migrant to California. Its origin may refer to Pike County, Missouri, or perhaps to a vagrant wandering the highway; neither explanation is certain.

More examples

At poker, she calls anyone who bets pennies a piker.
Don't be a piker—help us finish cleaning the kitchen.
They call us pikers for leaving the volunteer shift early.

Forms

piker · pikers

Similar words

cheapskate: Focuses on unwillingness to spend money, rather than effort or risk.
shirker: Avoids work or responsibility, rather than contributing too little.