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Tom o'Bedlam

American  
[tom uh-bed-luhm] / ˈtɒm əˈbɛd ləm /

noun

plural

Tom o'Bedlams

  1. (in historical use) a roving beggar who is insane or is feigning madness.

Etymology

Origin of Tom o'Bedlam

First recorded in 1595–1605; used of a beggar assumed to be a former inmate of Bedlam ( def. ), popular name for an insane asylum in London

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It was a rhapsody; he was as happy as Tom o'Bedlam.

From Harlequin and Columbine by Tarkington, Booth

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.