Beggarwomans

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Plural form referring to several poor women who live by asking others for money or food in the street
2. Refers to more than one woman who survives by begging for alms from passersby or strangers
3. Describes groups of destitute females who depend on charity and handouts to get by day to day

Etymology: Woman began in Old English as "wifman," combining "wif," meaning a female person, with "man," which then meant any human being rather than only a male one. "Wif" later narrowed toward "wife," so the word's first element had nothing to do with marriage. The origin of "beggar" itself is uncertain. One proposal links it to the Beghards, lay religious men in the Low Countries who lived by begging, but that connection is unproven. "Beggarwoman" is a plain compound meaning a woman who begs. "Beggarwomans" is its regular -s plural, though the standard plural is "beggarwomen," following the irregular plural of "woman," "women," which descends from Old English "wimmen."

Synonyms: beggar