street arab

or street Arab

noun Archaic: Sometimes Offensive.

a person, especially a child, who lives a homeless, vagabond life on the streets; urchin.

Origin of street arab

First recorded in 1860–65

usage note for street arab

See Arab.

Words nearby street arab

streek, streeking, streel, streep, street, street arab, street certificate, street christian, street cleaner, street cred, street credibility

Example sentences from the Web for street arab

  • Unlike the street-arab, he is either a school-boy, or earns his living somehow, or he is a truant from work of either kind.

    Brighter Britain! (Volume 1 of 2) |William Delisle Hay

British Dictionary definitions for street arab

street Arab

noun

literary, old-fashioned a homeless child, esp one who survives by begging and stealing; urchin