schnorrer

or shnor·rer

[ shnawr-er, shnohr- ]

nounSlang.

a person who habitually borrows or lives at the expense of others with no intention of repaying; sponger; moocher; beggar.

Origin of schnorrer

First recorded in 1890–95; from Yiddish shnorer “sponger, moocher,” equivalent to shnor(n) “to beg” (compare Middle High German snurren “to hum, buzz, whir”); sense “beg” from beggars' custom of playing a small pipe or whistle (German Schnurrpfeife ) + -er -er¹

Words Nearby schnorrer

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use schnorrer in a sentence

What of Wagner, with his delight in imbecile fables, his popinjay vanity, his soul of a schnorrer?
A Book of Prefaces | H. L. Mencken
"I have as much religion as any schnorrer on the road," replied the beggar, bridling up.
Dreamers of the Ghetto | I. Zangwill
And so you run away from the Home and married this schnorrer?
The Competitive Nephew | Montague Glass
Sooner as stay in the old country and be a schnorrer all your life, you come over here, ain't it?
Abe and Mawruss | Montague Glass
"That schnorrer ain't got money enough to stock a pushcart, let alone a restaurant," he jeered.
The Competitive Nephew | Montague Glass

British Dictionary definitions for schnorrer

schnorrer

/ (ˈʃnɔːrə) /

noun

US slang a person who lives off the charity of others; professional beggar

Origin of schnorrer

Yiddish, from German Schnurrer beggar (who played an instrument), from Middle High German snurren to hum

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

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