beachcomber

[ beech-koh-mer ]

noun

1. a person who lives by gathering saleable articles of jetsam, refuse, etc., from beaches.
2. a vagrant who lives on the seashore, especially a nonnative person living in such a way on a South Pacific island.
3. a long wave rolling in from the ocean onto the beach.

beachcomber

/ ˈbiːtʃˌkəʊmə /

noun

1. a person who searches shore debris for anything of worth, esp a vagrant living on a beach
2. (in British Columbia) a person who is paid for salvaging loose logs and returning them to logging companies
3. a long high wave rolling onto a beach

Derived Forms

• ˈbeachˌcombing, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of beachcomber¹

First recorded in 1830–40; beach + comber

Example Sentences

“The upshot of this line of precedent is that government-authorized invasions of property — whether by plane, boat, cable, or beachcomber — are physical takings requiring just compensation,” he wrote.

From Washington Post

Periwinkles can live in very deep water, but collecting them is mostly done by beachcombers around rocky shorelines and jetty areas in clean-water habitats during low tide.

From Popular-Science

Hence the astonishment of Fufuti, which knew the ways of black recruits, when Karaki took the worthless beachcomber to his bosom.

From Project Gutenberg

He strolled into Mess one evening and mentioned quite casually that The Beachcomber was in camp.

From Project Gutenberg

The Beachcomber tugged his red moustache and laughed deprecatingly.

From Project Gutenberg

We wanted to lease a club that he had that was closed down, called the Beachcomber, in a suburb of Dallas.

From Project Gutenberg

He began to talk of the performances of my little two-year-old, Beachcomber; and after twenty minutes or so, he drifted away.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• nomad
• vagabond