Origin of vagrant
1400–50; late Middle English
vagaraunt, apparently present participle of Anglo-French
*vagrer, perhaps < Middle English
*vagren, blend of
vagen (< Latin
vagārī to wander) and
*walcren (> Old French
wa(u)crer), equivalent to
walc- (see
walk) +
-r- frequentative suffix +
-en infinitive suffix
SYNONYMS FOR vagrant
1
Vagrant,
vagabond describe an idle, disreputable person who lacks a fixed abode.
Vagrant suggests a tramp, a person with no settled abode or livelihood, an idle and disorderly person:
picked up by police as a vagrant.
Vagabond especially emphasizes the idea of worthless living, often by trickery, thieving, or other disreputable means:
Actors were once classed with rogues and vagabonds.
OTHER WORDS FROM vagrant
Words nearby vagrant
vagotomy,
vagotonia,
vagotropic,
vagovagal,
vagrancy,
vagrant,
vagrant's disease,
vagrom,
vague,
vagus,
vagus nerve
Example sentences from the Web for vagrant
British Dictionary definitions for vagrant
vagrant
/ (ˈveɪɡrənt) /
noun
a person of no settled abode, income, or job; tramp
a migratory animal that is off course
adjective
wandering about; nomadic
of, relating to, or characteristic of a vagrant or vagabond
moving in an erratic fashion, without aim or purpose; wayward
(of plants) showing uncontrolled or straggling growth
Archaic equivalent:
vagrom (
ˈveɪɡrəm)
Derived forms of vagrant
vagrantly, adverb vagrantness, nounWord Origin for vagrant
C15: probably from Old French
waucrant (from
wancrer to roam, of Germanic origin), but also influenced by Old French
vagant vagabond, from Latin
vagārī to wander