hobo

Etymology

Unknown. Possibly a contraction of ho, boy or the dialectal English term hawbuck (“lout, clumsy fellow, country bumpkin”).

noun

  1. (Canada, US) A wandering homeless person, especially (historical) one illegally travelling by rail or (derogatory) a penniless, unemployed bum.
  2. (Canada, US) Any migratory laborer, whether homeless or not.
  3. A kind of large handbag.
    Avoid bulky styles such as duffle sacks, buckets, doctors' satchels, and hobos. 1989, Susan Ludwig, Janice Steinberg, Petite Style, page 46

verb

  1. (intransitive, perhaps pejorative) To be a hobo, tramp, bum etc.
    Joe idly hoboed through half the country till he realized hoboing never gets you anywhere in life.

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