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• 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.

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street Arab British  

noun

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

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Sensitive Note

See Arab.

Etymology

Origin of street arab

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

street arab street Arab

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

The first lad was at this moment the victor, and he plunged down the side street with a fleetness known only to the street arab.

From In Wild Rose Time by Douglas, Amanda M.

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

And the shrewd young street arab arose to his feet, touched his cap with his forefinger, and said: "H'all right, sir; I 'opes I'll suit."

From The Shagganappi by Johnson, E. Pauline

"Blest if I know," replied Tawsey, staring; "they're mad, I think," and he related the incoming of the Indian and the street arab.

From The Opal Serpent by Hume, Fergus

In his native town," Author U Nu wrote of himself in the third person, "the nickname of Tate Sanetha, Saturday-born street Arab, was well known to everybody .

From Time Magazine Archive

A God has always passed over the street Arab.

From Les Misérables by Hapgood, Isabel Florence

The motto for the Professor's book should have been the emphatic exclamation of the street Arab, "My heye! such games!"

From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 100, January 10, 1891 by Various

"He's in all right, Mr. Holmes," cried a small street Arab, running up to us.

From The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Doyle, Arthur Conan, Sir

Gamin, gam′in, n. a street Arab, a precocious and mischievous imp of the pavement.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M) by Various