rappee

From French tabac râpé "grated tobacco", past participle of râper "to grate", from Old French rasper "to scrape"; of Germanic origin.

rappee (countable and uncountable, plural rappees)

1. A dark, coarse, strongly flavored snuff.
   • 1766, George Colman & David Garrick, The Clandestine Marriage, Act iv, Scene 2.

     Thou art like my rappee here, [takes out his box.] a moſt ridiculous ſuperfluity, but a pinch of thee now and then is a moſt delicious treat.

   • 1771, Tobias Smollett, Humphry Clinker, Penguin Classics, 1985, p.191:

     The fellow wears a solitaire, uses paint, and takes rappee with all the grimace of a French marquis.

   • 1836, Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers 35:

     ‘Why, it is difficult, sir, I confess,’ said the tall footman. ‘It may be done by degrees, Sir. Coffee is the best practice. I carried coffee, Sir, for a long time. It looks very like rappee, sir.’

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