buckeen

British

/ bʌˈkiːn /

noun

(in Ireland) a poor young man who aspires to the habits and dress of the wealthy

"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

Etymology

Origin of buckeen

C18: from Irish Gaelic boicín , diminutive of boc an important person

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The spalpeen! turned into a buckeen, that would be a squireen,—but can't.

From Tales and Novels — Volume 08 by Edgeworth, Maria

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023