conquestor

noun — 2 senses

conquestor

noun

Etymology From conquest + -or.

1

New York City Someone who breaks into the conductor car in a subway and takes control of the train, as a hobby or prank.

  • A rogue group of subway vandals calling them the 'Subway Conquestors' is allegedly on a mission to attack the rail system.2015 May 11, “Authorities: Group Of Teen Subway Vandals Could Pose Serious Threat To Straphanger Safety”, in CBS News, archived from the original on 15 Aug 2025:
  • These pranks were largely harmless to the train-riding masses, but the kids were the scourge of the MTA for months. (One MTA employee told me he and his co-workers can get written up for incorrect signage.) The agency posted the Conquestors' pictures all over the crew rooms and towers.2015 May 14, Samuel Lieberman, “Train Superfans Are Stopping Teens from Setting Fires on Subway Tracks”, in VICE News, archived from the original on 12 Apr 2026:
1 more example
  • Available online for between $2 to $10, a skeleton key, once artfully modified, will unlock nearly every cabin door in a New York City subway car. Once inside, conquestors film themselves futzing with the control panels or grabbing the mic to make announcements. Another two universal keys turn all of the trains on.2026 April 10, Sarah Maslin Nir, “Who Is Keeping These Trains Moving? Teenagers, Illegally.”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 11 Apr 2026:

conquestor

noun

Etymology Borrowed from Middle French conquesteur. By surface analysis, conquest (“to conquer”) + -or.

1

Obsolete Synonym of conqueror

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.