Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. anyone devoted to having an energetically good time with variations of ‘dope, sex and rock ’n’ roll’ as to individual taste and situation.

1958		J. Sandford Whelks and the Chromium (1968) 109: Yeah, and the ravers, wedged into their jeans, come all hot and spending furious from the little towns down the line.
1966		T. Keyes All Night Stand 17: The painter downstairs who had some ravers in from London, busily smashing the place up.
1981		J. Sullivan ‘Go West Young Man’ Only Fools and Horses [TV script] It means ravers Grandad, swingers!
1999		Guardian Weekend 17 July 52: Some loved-up raver kissing my face.
2000		Observer Rev. 5 Mar. 12: Its chosen self-description would put a room of ecstasy-stuffed ravers to sleep.

2. esp. in right little raver, a hedonistic woman who is also presumed to be sexually available; also a homosexual man.

1966		(con. 1948–52) L. Thomas Virgin Soldiers 62: The one in Manchester was a raver.
1970		T. Southern Blue Movie (1974) 62: I could of gotten some ravers, but it was hard enough finding broads that could unnerstan’ English, let alone type.
1985		J. Morrison Share House Blues 123: ‘Didn’t you notice Garry’s sisters at the wedding and your party? One is married, but the other is a real raver’.
1999		J. Cameron Brown Bread in Wengen [ebook] ‘Right little raver that PC Burns [...] I got love bites all over’.
2001		K. Waterhouse Soho 136: Not a bad looker, Vicky. Bit of a raver on the quiet, so he’d heard.

3. a fan of dixieland jazz.

2001

(ref. to late 1950s–early 1960s) M. Farren Give the Anarchist a Cigarette (ms.) 19: Ravers were a form of middle class moron, part time vicarious quasi-bohemians who wore bowler hats and baggy black sweaters and danced to bad dixieland jazz with a particular skipping motion. They were from the suburbs and home counties and, if for no other reason than they kept Mr. Acker Bilk and his Paramount Jazz Band in business, they were totally beneath our big city contempt.

4. a devotee of rave music.

1992		D. Jarman diary 8 Aug. Smiling in Slow Motion (2000) 186: The first ravers from the acid party at Lydd airport are walking round the Ness.
1999		Indep. on Sun. Real Life 5 Sept. 1: A reference to legendary OAP raver of yore, Rosie The Rave Granny, who frequented many of the post-Acid House dos.
2000		Guardian Guide 1–6 Jan. 19: If that doesn’t coax the turkey-heavy raver from his sofa, then you might as well join me, in staying home.
2002		R.G. Barrett Mystery Bay Blues 95: There were plenty of young people. But definitely no ravers with bottles of mineral water.
2013		T. Black Ringer [ebook] n.p.: It’s some wee raver, a proper beat boy in the Kappa cap and baggie joggies.