Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun One who is extremely poor.
- noun One living on or eligible for public charity.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A very poor person; a person entirely destitute of property or means of support; particularly, one who, on account of poverty, becomes chargeable to the public; also, in law, a person who, on account of poverty, is admitted to sue or defend in forma pauperis. See
in forma pauperis . - Of or pertaining to paupers: as, pauper labor.
- Same as
pauperize .
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun A very poor person; one without any means of support, especially one dependent on private or public charity. Also used adjectively.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun One who is extremely
poor . - noun One living on or eligible for public charity.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a person who is very poor
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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I took the barrow handles and wheeled it away, biting my lips, for it had suddenly struck me that Sir Francis thought that I was talking to a boy who was my companion in the workhouse, and it seemed as if fate was fixing the term pauper upon me so tightly that I should not be able to get it removed.
Brownsmith's Boy A Romance in a Garden George Manville Fenn 1870
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She may have been buried in what they call a pauper's grave. '
The Murder Room James, P. D. 1988
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You may protect yourself from what you call the pauper of Europe, but you will not be equally able to defend yourself from the depressed laborer of the new South, and as an American citizen, I dread any turn of the screw which will lower the rate of wages here; and I like to feel as an American citizen that whatever concerns the nation concerns me.
Trial and Triumph Frances Ellen Watkins Harper 1868
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It went not a little against the grain with him to order what he called a pauper's funeral for the junior partner in the firm; but, more desirous than ever to conciliate Mary, he promised all that she wished.
Mary Marston George MacDonald 1864
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He lived in the basement of an old brick building in a rundown part of midtown, a place he called his pauper's lair.
Thieves 2010
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And Ali Shar ceased not to waste his wealth all whiles of the day and all watches of the night, till he had made away with the whole of his riches and abode in pauper case and troubled at heart.
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This repetition of the word pauper so enraged me that for the moment I felt tempted to let him go down, but the next moment I shuddered at the thought and cried:
Brownsmith's Boy A Romance in a Garden George Manville Fenn 1870
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A long-term pauper of the NRL, the Knights could conceivably become a financial heavyweight almost overnight if the club's plan to attract private investment becomes a reality.
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May 23, 2006, 7: 28 am debt solution says: debt solution paraphrase pauper realistic diffusive subgraphs softening
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During the past few months the city papers have referred to St. Vincent as the leprosy town, Hallock was referred to as the pauper district; we have been advertised as the refuge of tramps and quarantined on account of glanders*; but last of all and worst of all Bro, W-- --- has commenced pelting us with poetry, and SUCH poetry!
"...Leprosy Town..." Trish Short Lewis 2006
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