pauper
[ paw-per ]
/ ˈpɔ pər /
noun
a person without any means of support, especially a destitute person who depends on aid from public welfare funds or charity.
a very poor person.
RELATED WORDS
supplicant, down-and-out, bankrupt, beggar, dependent, have-not, mendicant, bum, insolvent, lazarus, destitute, indigent
Nearby words
- paulownia,
- paumgartner,
- paumotu archipelago,
- paunch,
- paunchy,
- pauperism,
- pauperize,
- paupiette,
- paur,
- pauraque
Origin of pauper
1485–95; < Latin: poor
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for pauper
pauper
/ (ˈpɔːpə) /
noun
a person who is extremely poor
(formerly) a destitute person supported by public charity
Word Origin for pauper
C16: from Latin: poor
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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pauper
1510s, "person destitute of property or means of livelihood," from Latin pauper "poor, not wealthy, of small means" (see poor (adj.)). Originally in English a legal word, from Latin phrase in forma pauperis (late 15c.) "in the character of a poor person," thus allowed to sue in court without legal fees.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper