hoodlum
[ hood-luh m, hoo d- ]
/ ˈhud ləm, ˈhʊd- /
noun
a thug or gangster.
a young street ruffian, especially one belonging to a gang.
Nearby words
hooded seal, hooded top, hooded warbler, hoodia, hoodie, hoodlum, hoodman-blind, hoodoo, hoodooism, hoodwink, hooey
Origin of hoodlum
1870–75, Americanism; probably < dialectal German; compare Swabian derivatives of Hudel rag, e.g. hudelum disorderly, hudellam weak, slack Hudellump(e) rags, slovenly, careless person, and related words in other dialects
Related forms
hood·lum·ish, adjectivehood·lum·ism, nounDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for hoodlum
British Dictionary definitions for hoodlum
hoodlum
/ (ˈhuːdləm) /
noun
a petty gangster or ruffian
a lawless youth
Derived Forms
hoodlumism, nounWord Origin for hoodlum
C19: perhaps from Southern German dialect Haderlump ragged good-for-nothing
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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