panhandler

[ pan-hand-ler ]

noun

1. a person who accosts passers-by on the street, riders on the subway, motorists stopped at red lights, etc., and begs from them:

   A panhandler used to stop me every morning outside this coffee shop, asking me for spare change.

Word History and Origins

Origin of panhandler¹

First recorded in 1890–95; panhandle ² + -er ¹( def )

Example Sentences

Shortly after moving here, I was approached by a panhandler in the parking garage of the Beverly Center.

From Los Angeles Times

He hopes that his ramshackle, crazed aesthetic will prove his sincerity and urgency, like the cardboard signs of the panhandler or proselytizer.

From New York Times

In Kalispell, city leaders approved an ordinance to punish motorists who give money or supplies to panhandlers.

From New York Times

This shift has been felt keenly in the realm of street-level charitable giving — from individual donations to panhandlers and street musicians to the red Salvation Army donation kettles outside grocery stores.

From Seattle Times

“He was a panhandler. We called him the ‘dollar man.’

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• beggar
• mendicant