vagabond

American  

[vag-uh-bond] / ˈvæg əˌbɒnd /

adjective

1. wandering from place to place without any settled home; nomadic.

   a vagabond tribe.

2. leading an unsettled or carefree life.

3. disreputable; worthless; shiftless.

4. of, relating to, or characteristic of a vagabond.

   vagabond habits.

5. having an uncertain or irregular course or direction.

   a vagabond voyage.

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noun

1. a person, usually without a permanent home, who wanders from place to place; nomad.

2. an idle wanderer without a permanent home or visible means of support; tramp; vagrant.

   Synonyms:

   loafer, hobo

3. a carefree, worthless, or irresponsible person; rogue.

   Synonyms:

   idler, knave

vagabond British  

/ ˈvæɡəˌbɒnd /

noun

1. a person with no fixed home

2. an idle wandering beggar or thief

3. (modifier) of or like a vagabond; shiftless or idle

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Related Words

See vagrant.

Other Word Forms

• vagabondage noun
• vagabondish adjective
• vagabondism noun

Etymology

Origin of vagabond

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English vagabound (from Old French vagabond ), from Late Latin vagābundus “wandering, vagrant,” equivalent to Latin vagā(rī) “to wander” + -bundus adjective suffix

Example Sentences

A friend unexpectedly hosted a vagabond queen who birthed a litter in their place.

From Salon • Dec. 6, 2024

When the orchestra returned from COVID, it was faced with a vagabond 2021-22 season during the renovation.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 6, 2024

But over the following years, purported sightings of Majorana multiplied: as a beggar in Naples, a monk in Calabria, and a vagabond in South America.

From Science Magazine • Dec. 20, 2023

He had PTSD, and he was a bit of a vagabond.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 19, 2023

There was another kind of object in the sky, the wandering or vagabond stars called planets.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

Related Words

• wanderer