hoodlum

English

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈhud.lə̆m/

Etymology

Since 1871. Origin unknown, but many explanations have been put forward. Online Etymology Dictionary indicates that a guess as good as any is from German dialect (Bavarian) Huddellump (“ragamuffin”).

According to Herbert Asbury in his book The Barbary Coast: An Informal History of the San Francisco Underworld (1933, A. A. Knopf, New York), the word originated in San Francisco from the call of a particular street gang, huddle 'em. Thousands of resentful unemployed Irish workers beat up Chinese migrants. San Francisco newspapers thereafter took to calling street gangs "hoodlums".

Noun

hoodlum (plural hoodlums)

1. a gangster; a hired thug
2. a rough or violent youth

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:criminal

Derived terms

• hood

Translations

a gangster; a hired thug

Afrikaans: rampokker (af) Finnish: gangsteri (fi)

French: bandit (fr) m. Sotho: tsotsi (st)

a rough or violent youth

Cebuano: bugoy Cebuano: bugoy Finnish: hulttio (fi)

French: voyou (fr) m.

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Translations to be checked

Japanese: ちんぴら (chimpira)