Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (UK Und.) a safebreaker who uses explosives.

1941

V. Davis Phenomena in Crime 251: Bomber. Cracksmen who can use explosives.

2. (drugs) a very large and potent cannabis cigarette.

1949		‘Hal Ellson’ Duke 3: I was saving the bombers. I smoked all the sticks.
1951		Kerouac On the Road (The Orig. Scroll) (2007) 383: Gregor proceeded to roll the biggest bomber anyone ever saw.
1957		Kerouac On The Road (1972) 266: Victor proceeded to roll the biggest bomber anyone ever saw.
1967		P. Thomas Down These Mean Streets (1970) 58: I felt its size. It was king-sized, a bomber. I put it to my lips and began to hiss my reserve away.
1970		T. Southern Blue Movie (1974) 147: There’s an eight-year old kid in there twisting up hash-bombers big as cigars.
1980		E. Folb Runnin’ Down Some Lines 171: Roll you some righteous bombers!
1999		E. Bunker Mr Blue 274: I got in the car and fired up a fat joint called a bomber.
2001		S. King Dreamcatcher 398: He held the joint out. It was a bomber.

3. (drugs, also black ball) a barbiturate or an amphetamine drug.

1964		Guardian 4 Apr. n.p.: I make about £300 a week out of ‘purple hearts’ [...] Then there are the ‘black balls‘ - dexedrine.
1966		G. Fletcher Down Among the Meths Men 88: Saw him swallow pocketful of bombers with his wino.
1966		T. Keyes All Night Stand 120: Bombers, black bennies are a different matter, and you could keep going on a bird all bloody night.
1979		T. Alibrandi Custody 212: ‘Musta been a fuckin’ bomber,’ she smiled, referring to the lude.
1989		T. Blacker Fixx 19: Keep your voice down and dose him up with those nice brightly coloured bombers.
1992		D. Jarman diary 9 Nov. Smiling in Slow Motion (2000) 253: A green temazepam bomber buzzed me into five hours’ sleep.
2002		(con. 1981) W. Self Dorian 37: ‘What’s he on nowadays?’ [...] ‘Same as ever, five-mil Dexies in the day, tombstones or bombers if he’s out on the razzle.’.
2017		A. Parks Bloody January 80: He gave the Afghan coat bloke a bomber, took the last one himself.
2022		A. Parks May God Forgive 90: I’ve got black bombers, sulph, mandies, couple of tabs left—’.

4. (S.Afr.) a fast train.

1987

(con. 1950s) G. Moloi My Life 105: Next morning I was on the ten past six ‘bomber’ to Mayfair. In the train I was a pathetic case.

5. (Scot. drugs) a piece of burning tobacco and/or cannabis falling from the end of a cigarette.

2020

G. Armstrong Young Team 4: We’re aw watchin fur him hoggin the joint, but he passes it over [...] orange bombers fallin fae the tip.