-ster
Origin
From Middle English -ster, -estere, from Old English -estre ("-ster", feminine agent suffix.), from Proto-Germanic *-istrijÇ, *-astrijÇ, from Proto-Indo-European *-as-tar-. Cognate with Old High German -astria, Middle Low German -ester, Dutch -ster.
Full definition of -ster
Suffix
- Someone who is, or who is associated with, or who does something specified.
- (humorous, sometimes offensive) A diminutive appended to a person's name.
- 1992, Russell Baker, "Observer; Pretty Good Read" (review of What It Takes by Richard Ben Cramer), New York Times, 25 Jul.,Cramer's exploration of the hearts, minds and souls of America's ambition-crazed Presidential candidates moves ahead at a pace that feels childishly frantic . . . . This is not just because it keeps referring to Senator Robert Dole as "the Bobster."
Usage notes
Relatively uncommon for agent nouns, compared to more usual -er and -or; primarily used for single-syllable words. Also informal, particularly in contemporary productive use – compare hipster, scenester, bankster; older terms such as barrister do not have this casual connotation, however.
Sometimes used in proper names, e.g. Napster (file-sharing software), Blockster (Brandon Block, disc jockey).