hobo

[ hoh-boh ]

/ ˈhoʊ boʊ /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR hobo ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural ho·bos, ho·boes.

a tramp or vagrant.

a migratory worker.

Nearby words

hobnail, hobnail cell, hobnail liver, hobnailed, hobnob, hobo, hoboken, hobrecht, hobson, hobson's choice, hobson-jobson

Origin of hobo

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90; origin uncertain

Related forms

ho·bo·ism, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for hobo

It is not anywhere near as good as your Hobo sketch—has not the same sparkle, buoyancy, and go.
My Boyhood|John Burroughs
I had been readin' the papers, and I had seen a lot about Hobo Harry in 'em.
A Woman at Bay|Nicholas Carter
"The Hobo—" He fixed his eyes on my Spencer and ran along the titles while he cast his definition.
Moon-Face and Other Stories|Jack London
They think only that she is Hobo Harry's wife, or sister, or sweetheart, or something like that.
A Woman at Bay|Nicholas Carter

The emphasis on the last word roused Hobo, who was sleeping in the next room.
Peggy Raymond's Vacation|Harriet L. (Harriet Lummis) Smith

British Dictionary definitions for hobo

hobo

/ (ˈhəʊbəʊ) /

noun plural -bos or -boes mainly US and Canadian

a tramp; vagrant

a migratory worker, esp an unskilled labourer

Derived Forms

hoboism, noun

Word Origin for hobo

C19 (US): origin unknown

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