bidonville
[ French bee-dawn-veel ]
/ French bi dɔ̃ˈvil /
noun, plural bi·don·villes [French bee-dawn-veel] /French bi dɔ̃ˈvil/.
(especially in France and North Africa) an impoverished shantytown on the outskirts of a city.
Origin of bidonville
1950–55; < French, equivalent to
bidon metal drum, can (for oil, etc.) (earlier, five-pint wooden jug; of uncertain origin) +
-ville, combining form, in placenames, of
ville city < Latin
vīlla
villa; metal cans are often used as building materials in such towns