hobo

[ hoh-boh ]
See synonyms for hobo on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural ho·bos, ho·boes.
  1. a tramp or vagrant.

  2. a migratory worker.

Origin of hobo

1
An Americanism dating back to 1885–90; origin uncertain

Other words from hobo

  • ho·bo·ism, noun

Words Nearby hobo

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use hobo in a sentence

  • Maybe you can only afford a penny a day, for a total donation of $3.65 per year, and become a Sustaining hobo member!

  • Then as hobo took his stand where he could view proceedings, the boy turned abruptly to Peggy.

    Peggy Raymond's Vacation | Harriet L. (Harriet Lummis) Smith
  • hobo growled softly, the hair on his neck bristling and giving him a peculiarly savage appearance.

    Peggy Raymond's Vacation | Harriet L. (Harriet Lummis) Smith
  • She marched out into the kitchen, hobo following, and as she reached the door, the knocking began for the third time.

    Peggy Raymond's Vacation | Harriet L. (Harriet Lummis) Smith
  • hobo stretched himself upon the folded rug with a groan startlingly human.

    Peggy Raymond's Vacation | Harriet L. (Harriet Lummis) Smith
  • The "hobo" is that part of a prison where the minor offenders are confined together in a large iron cage.

    The Road | Jack London

British Dictionary definitions for hobo

hobo

/ (ˈhəʊbəʊ) /


nounplural -bos or -boes mainly US and Canadian
  1. a tramp; vagrant

  2. a migratory worker, esp an unskilled labourer

Origin of hobo

1
C19 (US): origin unknown

Derived forms of hobo

  • hoboism, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012