hoodlum
Use Hoodlum in a sentence
ləm, ˈhʊd- noun
1.
a thug or gangster.
2.
a young street ruffian, especially one belonging to a gang.
Origin:
1870–75, Americanism; probably < dialectal German; compare Swabian derivatives of Hudel rag, e.g. hudelum disorderly, hudellam weak, slack Hudellump(e) rags, slovenly, careless person, and related words in other dialects
1870–75, Americanism; probably < dialectal German; compare Swabian derivatives of Hudel rag, e.g. hudelum disorderly, hudellam weak, slack Hudellump(e) rags, slovenly, careless person, and related words in other dialects
Related forms
hood·lum·ish, adjective
hood·lum·ism, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To hoodlum
00:10
Hoodlum
is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
| a gadget; dingus; thingumbob. |
| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
hoodlum (ˈhuːdləm) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a petty gangster or ruffian |
| 2. | a lawless youth |
| [C19: perhaps from Southern German dialect Haderlump ragged good-for-nothing] | |
| 'hoodlumism | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
hoodlum
1871, Amer.Eng. (first in ref. to San Francisco) "young street rowdy, loafer," later (1877) "young criminal, gangster," of unknown origin, though newspapers have printed myriad stories concocted to account for it. A guess perhaps better than average is that it is from Ger. dial. (Bavarian) Huddellump
"ragamuffin."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
Despite his reputation as a hoodlum and his history of gratuitous violence, he had no trouble getting a casino license.
Once he smashes a hoodlum's hand in the door of an automobile.
Behind a locked door the hoodlum is not at home, unless there be a jailor in place of a janitor to guard it.
Before that, their ad was of a squalid little shaven headed hoodlum staring into the camera and making bald threats.
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