hobo

American  

[hoh-boh] / ˈhoʊ boʊ /

noun

plural

hobos, hoboes

1. a tramp or vagrant.

2. a migratory worker.

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hobo British  

/ ˈhəʊbəʊ /

noun

1. a tramp; vagrant

2. a migratory worker, esp an unskilled labourer

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Other Word Forms

• hoboism noun

Etymology

Origin of hobo

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90; origin uncertain

Explanation

Be careful when you call a vagrant or homeless person a hobo — although this is exactly what the word means, it is a somewhat offensive term. The end of the nineteenth century brought the start of the word hobo in the Western United States. No one is certain where the word came from, although there are a couple of educated guesses. One possible origin is the English word hawbuck, which means "country bumpkin," while another is the common working man's greeting or call during the building of the railroads in the West, ho, boy!

Example Sentences

Part hobo, part insult comic, part performance artist, Diogenes flaunted his disregard for convention in ways that scandalized the bourgeoisie of Athens and, later, Corinth, after his banishment from Sinope became permanent.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 17, 2025

Yes, it wasn't a boy; it was a little girl, but I couldn't tell because she was dressed like a hobo.

From Salon • Oct. 31, 2023

Over a century, L.A.’s arroyos have drawn graffitists and their chroniclers — hobo, cholo and otherwise.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 11, 2023

The trilogy includes “The Areas of My Expertise,” a book that contains, among other things, a list of 700 hobo names.

From Washington Post • Apr. 11, 2023

“I been hungrier than this,” the hobo told Billy.

From "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut

Related Words

• drifter
• homeless person
• tramp
• unhoused person
• wanderer