Stowaways

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Individuals who secretly hide aboard a vehicle, usually a ship or airplane, to avoid paying for a ticket or for the purposes of travel
2. People who conceal themselves in a means of transportation without authorization, often to escape or reach a desired destination
3. Those who embark clandestinely on various modes of transport, typically to evade detection and to travel without financial cost

Etymology: "Stowaways" is the plural of "stowaway," a noun built from the verb phrase "stow away." Its roots are in nautical work: "stow" meant to pack cargo or gear neatly into the hold of a ship, and "away" in the sense of out of sight. To stow something away was to store it where it could not be seen, and over time the phrase came to describe a person who hid themselves in the same way, slipping aboard a vessel unnoticed. The noun form emerged from that verb phrase, so the word's history is a plain combination of two familiar English elements rather than a borrowing from another language. Its meaning stayed close to the original image of concealment in a ship's hold, now applied to people rather than cargo.

Synonyms: sneakers, illegals, interlopers