hoodlum

[ hood-luh m, hoo d- ]

/ ˈhud ləm, ˈhʊd- /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR hoodlum ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a thug or gangster.

a young street ruffian, especially one belonging to a gang.

Nearby words

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 formshood·lum·ish, adjectivehood·lum·ism, noun

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

Examples from the Web for hoodlum

A hoodlum crashes a pool party that not-so-bright Cameron throws in spite of the recent bloody death of one of his friends.
The Craziest Moments From ‘Ghost Shark’ (VIDEO)|Kevin Fallon|August 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Just because someone wears a hoodie does not make them a hoodlum.
The Story Behind Bobby Rush, the Hoodie-Wearing, Trayvon-Supporting Congressman|Nicholas McCarvel|March 28, 2012|DAILY BEAST
One hoodlum left the ranks and started off toward the barracks-room.
Funny Stories Told By The Soldiers|Carleton B. Case
The hoodlum muttered a contemptuous obscenity under his breath.
The Common Man|Guy McCord (AKA Dallas McCord Reynolds)

The hoodlum made no move to return the money, but continued to struggle wildly.
Motor Matt's Hard Luck|Stanley R. Matthews
Displaced by Italians and Slavs, many of the young men have fallen into the hoodlum and criminal element.
Races and Immigrants in America|John R. Commons
He knew he was a hoodlum; the trolley conductors had told him that.
Tom Slade|Percy K. Fitzhugh

British Dictionary definitions for hoodlum

hoodlum

/ (ˈhuːdləm) /

noun

a petty gangster or ruffian

a lawless youth

Derived Formshoodlumism, noun

Word Origin for hoodlum

C19: perhaps from Southern German dialect Haderlump ragged good-for-nothing

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

Word Origin and History for hoodlum

hoodlum

popularized 1871, American English, (identified throughout the 1870s as "a California word") "young street rowdy, loafer," especially one involved in violence against Chinese immigrants, "young criminal, gangster;" it appears to have been in use locally from a slightly earlier date and may have begun as a specific name of a gang:

The police have recently been investigating the proceedings of a gang of thieving boys who denominate themselves and are known to the world as the Hoodlum Gang. [San Francisco "Golden Era" newspaper, Feb. 16, 1868, p.4]

Of unknown origin, though newspapers of the day printed myriad fanciful stories concocted to account for it. A guess perhaps better than average is that it is from German dialectal (Bavarian) Huddellump "ragamuffin" [Barnhart].

What the derivation of the word "hoodlum" is we could never satisfactorily ascertain, though several derivations have been proposed; and it would appear that the word has not been very many years in use. But, however obscure the word may be, there is nothing mysterious about the thing; .... [Walter M. Fisher, "The Californians," London, 1876]

hoodlum

noun

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of hoodlum

Examples from the Web for hoodlum

hoodlum

noun

Word Origin for hoodlum

hoodlum