dasher

Dasher is a term with several distinct uses in culture and technology. In the Santa Claus mythos, Dasher is one of Santa’s eight reindeer named in A Visit from St. Nicholas, the 1823 poem that popularized Santa’s sleigh team. Dasher, along with Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen, pulls Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve. The name evokes speed, and Dasher is commonly depicted as the fastest of the team; Rudolph is a later addition from 20th-century fiction.

In English, dasher can also function as a common noun or verb related to dashing. It can describe a fast-moving person or thing, and as a surname or given name in some cases.

In computing and accessibility contexts, Dasher is the name of a text-entry system designed to allow fast input with minimal physical control. The program presents a dynamic, zooming interface in which letters and words are arranged by probability; users steer input with a single switch or a pointing device and select targets to reveal subsequent options. Dasher has been used to support users with limited mobility and to explore alternative input methods.