| inner city | |
| —n | |
| a. the parts of a city in or near its centre, esp when they are associated with poverty, unemployment, substandard housing, etc | |
| b. (as modifier): inner-city schools | |
| a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes. |
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
A general term for impoverished areas of large cities. The inner city is characterized by minimal educational opportunities, high unemployment and crime rates, broken families, and inadequate housing. (See ghettos.)