hang·er-on

[hang-er-on, -awn]
noun, plural hang·ers-on.
a person who remains in a place or attaches himself or herself to a group, another person, etc., although not wanted, especially in the hope or expectation of personal gain.

Origin:
1540–50; noun use of verb phrase hang on; see -er1


toady, parasite, sycophant, follower.
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World English Dictionary
hanger-on
 
n , pl hangers-on
a sycophantic follower or dependant, esp one hoping for personal gain

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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00:10
Hanger-on is always a great word to know.
So is doohickey. Does it mean:
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.
Example sentences
It's almost all gone now, except for one thing, one devious little hanger-on: cigarette butts.
Yesterday, they found the hanger-on: a six-foot-long boa constrictor, curled around the base of a bathtub.
Before, the government had to cobble a majority together from various hanger-on parties.
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