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Tom o'Bedlam

[ tom uh-bed-luhm ]

noun

, plural Tom o'Bed·lams.
  1. (in historical use) a roving beggar who is insane or is feigning madness.


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Word History and Origins

Origin of Tom o'Bedlam1

First recorded in 1595–1605; used of a beggar assumed to be a former inmate of Bedlam ( def ), popular name for an insane asylum in London

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