Jump To:

• street arab
  street arab

  noun

  a person, especially a child, who lives on the streets; urchin.
• street Arab
  street Arab

  noun

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

street arab

American  

[street ar-uhb] / ˈstrit ˌær əb /

Or street Arab

noun

Archaic: Often Offensive.

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

---

street Arab British  

noun

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

---

Sensitive Note

See Arab.

Etymology

Origin of street arab

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

Commonly, he would have been through with all his tasks for the day, and he looked with something like disgust at this dirty street arab who was thus turning the household “all tipsy-topsy.”

From Divided Skates by Raymond, Evelyn

They were popular, with a vengeance—for every little street arab had beef bones for castanets, and every new song was roared out in the streets until it nauseated. 

From Gossip in the First Decade of Victoria's Reign by Ashton, John

Under this head fall such words as india rubber, oriental colors, street arab, pasteurize, macadam, axminster, gatling, paris green, plaster of paris, philippic, socratic, herculean, guillotine, utopia, bohemian, philistine, platonic.

From The Style Book of The Detroit News by News, The Detroit

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

From Friend Mac Donald by O'Rell, Max

She had a great deal of natural wit, a liveliness peculiar to the native of the faubourgs, all the impudence of the street arab, and a veritable talent of mimicry.

From George Sand, some aspects of her life and writings by Hallard, Alys