Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Vagabond

Vag′a-bond

,
Adj.
[F., fr. L.
vagabundus
, from
vagari
to stroll about, from
vagus
strolling. See
Vague
.]
1.
Moving from place to place without a settled habitation; wandering.
Vagabond exile.”
Shak.
2.
Floating about without any certain direction; driven to and fro.
To heaven their prayers
Flew up, nor missed the way, by envious winds
Blown
vagabond
or frustrate.
Milton.
3.
Being a vagabond; strolling and idle or vicious.

Vag′a-bond

,
Noun.
One who wanders from place to place, having no fixed dwelling, or not abiding in it, and usually without the means of honest livelihood; a vagrant; a tramp; hence, a worthless person; a rascal.
A fugitive and a
vagabond
shalt thou be.
Gen. iv. 12.
☞ In English and American law, vagabond is used in bad sense, denoting one who is without a home; a strolling, idle, worthless person. Vagabonds are described in old English statutes as “such as wake on the night and sleep on the day, and haunt customable taverns and alehouses, and routs about; and no man wot from whence they came, nor whither they go.” In American law, the term vagrant is employed in the same sense. Cf
Rogue
,
Noun.
, 1.
Burrill.
Bouvier.

Vag′a-bond

,
Verb.
I.
To play the vagabond; to wander like a vagabond; to stroll.
On every part my
vagabonding
sight
Did cast, and drown mine eyes in sweet delight.
Drummond.

Webster 1828 Edition


Vagabond

VAG'ABOND

,
Adj.
[L. vagabundus, from vagor, to wander; from the root of wag.]
1.
Wandering; moving from place to place without any settled habitation; as a vagabond exile.
2.
Wandering; floating about without any certain direction; driven to and fro.
Like to a vagabond flag upon the stream.

VAG'ABOND

,
Noun.
[supra.] A vagrant; one who wanders from town to town or place to place, having no certain dwelling, or not abiding in it. By the laws of England and of the United States, vagabonds are liable to be taken up and punished.

Definition 2024


vagabond

vagabond

English

Noun

vagabond (plural vagabonds)

  1. A person on a trip of indeterminate destination and/or length of time.
  2. One who wanders from place to place, having no fixed dwelling, or not abiding in it, and usually without the means of honest livelihood; a vagrant; a hobo.
    • Bible, Genesis iv. 12
      A fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be.

Synonyms

  • See also Wikisaurus:vagabond

Hypernyms

Related terms

Translations

Verb

vagabond (third-person singular simple present vagabonds, present participle vagabonding, simple past and past participle vagabonded)

  1. To roam, as a vagabond

Translations

Adjective

vagabond (not comparable)

  1. Floating about without any certain direction; driven to and fro.
    • Milton
      To heaven their prayers / Flew up, nor missed the way, by envious winds / Blown vagabond or frustrate.
    • 1959, Jack London, The Star Rover
      Truly, the worships of the Mystery wandered as did men, and between filchings and borrowings the gods had as vagabond a time of it as did we.

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Late Latin vagabundus.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /va.ga.bɔ̃/

Adjective

vagabond m (feminine singular vagabonde, masculine plural vagabonds, feminine plural vagabondes)

  1. vagabonding

Noun

vagabond m (plural vagabonds, feminine vagabonde)

  1. vagabond

Derived terms


Romanian

Etymology

From French vagabond.

Noun

vagabond m (plural vagabonzi)

  1. tramp, (a homeless person)