clochard

noun

clo·​chard klō-ˈshär 

: vagrant, tramp

Did you know?

Why such a fancy French word for a bum? The truth of the matter is, nine times out of ten, you will find clochard used for not just any bum, but a French bum - even more specifically, a Parisian bum. And, sometimes, it's even a certain type of Parisian bum - a type that has been romanticized in literature and is part of the local color. Nevertheless, as "français" as this word (which comes from the French verb clocher, meaning "to limp") may seem, its regular appearance in English sources since 1937 makes it an English word, too.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

In summer the clochards like to live along the quay, sleep under the bridges. —Bruce Dale, National Geographic, 17 Apr. 2019

Word History

Etymology

French, from clocher to limp, from Vulgar Latin *cloppicare, from Late Latin cloppus lame

First Known Use

1937, in the meaning defined above

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