hobo

[ hoh-boh ]

/ ˈhoʊ boʊ /

noun, plural ho·bos, ho·boes.

a tramp or vagrant.

a migratory worker.

Words nearby hobo

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

OTHER WORDS FROM hobo

ho·bo·ism, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

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 of hobo

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

hobo

noun, plural ho·bos, ho·boes.

Words related to hobo

Words nearby hobo

Origin of hobo

OTHER WORDS FROM hobo

Examples from the Web for hobo

British Dictionary definitions for hobo

noun plural -bos or -boes mainly US and Canadian

Derived forms of hobo

Word Origin for hobo