boat people

American  

plural noun

1. refugees who have fled a country by boat, usually without sufficient provisions, navigational aids, or a set destination, especially those who left Indochina by sea as a result of the fall of South Vietnam in 1975.

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boat people British  

plural noun

1. refugees, esp from Vietnam in the late 1970s, who leave by boat hoping to be picked up by ships of another country

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Etymology

Origin of boat people

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

Increasing access to one-floor homes would be a positive statement about our community’s ability to welcome different types of housing that suits people of all abilities.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 26, 2022

That suits people like Joseph Wise just fine.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 15, 2017

“We don’t sell bathing suits people swim in. These are bathing suits people wear in party situations. It’s the new cocktail dress.”

From New York Times • Jun. 21, 2016

The work often happens in the small hours when it’s coldest, and the job suits people who like isolation and quiet.

From Salon • Feb. 23, 2013

But now, in 2012, as a man in his late 50s walking down Brick Lane in vintage workwear and tailor-made suits, people turn around to look at him for all the right reasons.

From The Guardian • Jul. 10, 2012