street arab

or street Ar·ab

[ street ar-uhb ]

noun

, Archaic: Often Offensive.

1. a person, especially a child, who lives on the streets; urchin.

street Arab

noun

1. literary.
   a homeless child, esp one who survives by begging and stealing; urchin

Sensitive Note

See Arab.

Word History and Origins

Origin of street arab¹

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

The beggar reciting the Bible to fill his pocket is very well; but he does not come up to the preaching street arab.

From Project Gutenberg

Once in a while some street arab let drive a stone, then dove under the nearest car, and scurried away into hiding.

From Project Gutenberg

This is the newsboy of London, a personality into which the street arab not infrequently develops.

From Project Gutenberg

He was a Parisian, a former street arab, and I suspected him of having prepared an apple-pie bed in order to have a laugh at me.

From Project Gutenberg

And in her turn Florence appeared with her little street-arab smile, and her childish haunches.

From Project Gutenberg