guttersnipe

[ guht-er-snahyp ]
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noun
  1. a person belonging to or characteristic of the lowest social group in a city.

  2. a street urchin.

Origin of guttersnipe

1
First recorded in 1855–60; gutter + snipe

Other words from guttersnipe

  • gut·ter·snip·ish, adjective

Words Nearby guttersnipe

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use guttersnipe in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for guttersnipe

guttersnipe

/ (ˈɡʌtəˌsnaɪp) /


noun
  1. a child who spends most of his time in the streets, esp in a slum area

  2. a person regarded as having the behaviour, morals, etc, of one brought up in squalor

Origin of guttersnipe

1
C19: originally a name applied to the common snipe (the bird), then to a person who gathered refuse from gutters in city streets

Derived forms of guttersnipe

  • guttersnipish, adjective

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