hobo

See also: hóbo

English

Etymology

Unknown. Possibly a contraction of ho, boy, or the dialectal English term hawbuck (lout, clumsy fellow, country bumpkin). It could also be an abbreviation for homeless boy or homeward bound.

Pronunciation

  • enPR: hō'bō, IPA(key): /ˈhəʊ.bəʊ/
  • Rhymes: -əʊbəʊ

Noun

hobo (plural hobos or hoboes)

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

Usage notes

  • Often used attributively, as if an adjective. For example, "hobo stew", "he was leading a hobo life."
  • Although informal usage considers hobo synonymous with bum, self-proclaimed hobos sometimes distinguish themselves as migrant workers rather than unemployed bums.[1]

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout#Translations.

Verb

hobo (third-person singular simple present hobos, present participle hoboing, simple past and past participle hoboed)

  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.

References

  1. Tales of the Iron Road: My Life As King of the Hobos.

Anagrams


Afrikaans

Etymology

From Dutch hobo, from French hautbois

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɦʊəˈbʊə/

Noun

hobo (plural hobo's, diminutive hobootjie)

  1. oboe

Dutch

Etymology

From French hautbois.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɦoːˈboː/
  • (file)

Noun

hobo m (plural hobo's, diminutive hobootje n)

  1. oboe

Derived terms

  • hoboïst

Japanese

Romanization

hobo

  1. Rōmaji transcription of ほぼ
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