clochard

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French clochard.

Noun

clochard (plural clochards)

1. A beggar or tramp, especially in France.
   • 1978, Lawrence Durrell, Livia, Faber & Faber 1992 (Avignon Quintet), p. 492:

     He nearly fell over the Pont Neuf, enjoyed the conversation and esteem of several hairy clochards, and was finally knocked down by a taxi in the Place Vendôme […]

   • 2000, JG Ballard, Super-Cannes, Fourth Estate 2011, p. 92:

     ‘Those clochards in Cannes, mostly old soixante-huitards. They see a tribute to modern industrial genius and can't resist giving it a swift kick.’

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Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from French clochard.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /klɔˈʃaːr/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

clochard m (plural clochards, diminutive clochardje n)

1. vagrant

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French

Etymology

Disputed. One possible etymology is clocher (“to limp”) +‎ -ard, another one is from cloche (“clumsy person, oaf”)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /klɔ.ʃaʁ/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

clochard m (plural clochards, feminine clocharde)

1. (derogatory) tramp; vagrant

Synonyms

• clodo

Further reading

• “clochard”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

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Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from French clochard.

Noun

clochard m or f (uncountable)

1. tramp, vagrant

   Synonym: barbone