begging bowl

British  

noun

1. a bowl carried by a beggar, esp a Franciscan or other friar or a Buddhist monk, to receive food or alms

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Example Sentences

Soon the baby is being set out in the sun beside a begging bowl.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

He said London placed 49 bids, costing an estimated £2.2m, "for the privilege of having a begging bowl".

From BBC • Jan. 30, 2023

“We haven’t got a begging bowl out to the government, we just want help sometimes, sometimes its influence.. sometimes it’s a little bit of funding that gives us a bit of leverage,” he said.

From Reuters • Nov. 29, 2021

Nkengasong urges African countries not to wait for help and rejects the image of the continent holding a begging bowl.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 22, 2020

I did it well, but Waterside money was tight and an empty begging bowl meant a cold, hungry night.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss