fleabag

[ flee-bag ]

noun

, Slang.

1. a cheap, run-down hotel or rooming house.
2. any shabby or low-grade public establishment.
3. a worthless racehorse.
4. a dog, especially one that is flea-ridden.
5. a bed.
6. a sleeping bag.

fleabag

/ ˈfliːˌbæɡ /

noun

1. a dirty or unkempt person
2. a cheap or dirty hotel

Word History and Origins

Origin of fleabag¹

First recorded in 1825–35; flea + bag

Example Sentences

Mr. Blake received an Emmy in 1975 for outstanding lead actor in “Baretta,” about a detective who lived a fleabag life and relied on clever disguises to solve crimes.

From Washington Post

The Berkeley Inn, known to Geyer’s generation as a fleabag hotel, once stood on the parcel of land.

From Los Angeles Times

A couple of the fleabags closed not long after.

From Los Angeles Times

He was also based in a "fleabag office" in a rough part of town.

From BBC

They were associated with noir midcentury urban life, with fleabag hotels and S.R.O.s, with single men leading marginal, vaguely seedy lives.

From New York Times

Related Words

• hostel
• house
• inn
• lodging
• motel
• resort
• tavern