English

Noun

hobo ‎(plural hobos or hoboes)

1. A homeless, usually penniless person, in some way associated with a life along the rails.
2. A migratory laborer.
3. (pejorative) A tramp, vagabond; hence bum.
4. A kind of large handbag.
   • 1989, Susan Ludwig, ‎Janice Steinberg, Petite Style (page 46)

     Avoid bulky styles such as duffle sacks, buckets, doctors' satchels, and hobos.

Usage notes

• Often used attributively, as if an adjective. For example, "hobo stew", "he was leading a hobo life."
• Hobos historically have loathed being grouped together with bums, whom they view as pure untrustworthy loafers. ^[1] Hobos, on the other hand, were allegedly pure "migratory workers". Whether this is a case of "no true Scotsman", or was actually the case is unknown.

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:vagabond

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

hobo ‎(third-person singular simple present hobos, present participle hoboing, simple past and past participle hoboed)

1. (intransitive, perhaps pejorative) To be a hobo, tramp, bum etc.

   Joe idly hoboed through half the country till he realized hoboing never gets you anywhere in life.

Anagrams

• boho, Boho

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɦoːˈboː/

Etymology

From French hautbois.

Noun

hobo m ‎(plural hobo's, diminutive hobootje n)

1. oboe

Derived terms

• hoboïst

Japanese

Romanization

hobo

1. rōmaji reading of ほぼ

1. ↑ Tales of the Iron Road: My Life As King of the Hobos