mugger

¹ American  

[muhg-er] / ˈmʌg ər /

noun

1. a person who mugs, especially one who assaults a person in order to rob them.

---

mugger ² American  

[muhg-er] / ˈmʌg ər /

Or muggar,

noun

1. a broad-snouted crocodile, Crocodylus palustris, of southern Asia, that grows to a length of about 16 feet (4.88 meters).

---

mugger ¹ British  

/ ˈmʌɡə /

noun

1. informal a person who commits robbery with violence, esp in the street

2. a person who overacts

---

mugger ² British  

/ ˈmʌɡə /

noun

1. Also called: marsh crocodile.  a large freshwater crocodile, Crocodylus niloticus, inhabiting marshes and pools of India and Ceylon

---

Etymology

Origin of mugger¹

An Americanism dating back to 1860–65; mug + -er ¹

Origin of mugger²

First recorded in 1835–45, mugger is from the Hindi word magar

Explanation

Someone who steals another person's personal property after threatening to hurt them (or actually hurting them) is a mugger. Most muggers attack their victims in a public place. To steal things from someone is to rob them, and when it happens outside on the street or sidewalk, especially with the threat of violence, the robber is usually called a mugger. A mugger might brandish a weapon or merely threaten harm, and he usually steals money, jewelry, cell phones, or other valuables. Mugger comes from the verb mug, or "beat up," which originally meant "punch in the face," from the nickname mug, or "face."

Example Sentences

A blind BBC reporter managed to stop a mugger from stealing his mobile phone by "instinctively" leaping on them.

From BBC • Dec. 27, 2022

I won't fight a mugger because I'm scared of what he'd do to me, so I walk away.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2019

When he rushes to the aid of what he thinks is a damsel in distress, he finds a mugger uttering high-pitched screams, the woman who’s just pepper-sprayed him standing calmly at his side.

From Slate • Apr. 2, 2019

On Saturday night, an alleged mugger managed to pick out a UFC fighter among those multitudes.

From The Guardian • Jan. 7, 2019

The officers took Beatrice home and offered to help find the mugger.

From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John

Related Words

• assailant
• thief
• thug