different between hobo vs boxcar

English

Etymology

Unknown. Possibly a term for a stowaway traveler out of the Hoboken, NJ train yards, or a contraction of ho, boy, or the dialectal English term hawbuck (“lout, clumsy fellow, country bumpkin”). It could also be an abbreviation for homeless boy, homeward bound, or homeless Bohemian.

Pronunciation

• enPR: h?'b?, IPA^(key): /?h??.b??/
• Rhymes: -??b??

Noun

hobo (plural hobos or hoboes)

1. (Canada, US) A wandering homeless person, especially (historical) one illegally travelling by rail or (derogatory) a penniless, unemployed bum.
2. (Canada, US) Any migratory laborer, whether homeless or not.
3. A kind of large handbag.
   • 1989, Susan Ludwig, Janice Steinberg, Petite Style (page 46)

     Avoid bulky styles such as duffle sacks, buckets, doctors' satchels, and hobos.

Usage notes

• Often used attributively, as if an adjective. For example, "hobo stew", "he was leading a hobo life."
• Although informal usage considers hobo synonymous with bum, self-proclaimed hobos sometimes distinguish themselves as migrant workers rather than unemployed bums.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:vagabond

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

hobo (third-person singular simple present hobos, present participle hoboing, simple past and past participle hoboed)

1. (intransitive, perhaps pejorative) To be a hobo, tramp, bum etc.

   Joe idly hoboed through half the country till he realized hoboing never gets you anywhere in life.

References

Anagrams

• Boho, boho

Afrikaans

Etymology

From Dutch hobo, from French hautbois.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /????b??/

Noun

hobo (plural hobo's, diminutive hobootjie)

1. oboe

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from French hautbois, from Middle French [Term?].

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?o??bo?/
• Hyphenation: ho?bo
• Rhymes: -o?

Noun

hobo m (plural hobo's, diminutive hobootje n)

1. oboe (woodwind)

Derived terms

• hoboïst

Japanese

Romanization

hobo

1. R?maji transcription of ??

English

Etymology

box +? car

Noun

boxcar (plural boxcars)

1. (rail transport, US) An enclosed railroad freight car, especially one with a sliding door.

Synonyms

• box van (UK)
• goods van (UK)

Derived terms

• boxcar function

Translations

See also

• flatcar

Verb

boxcar (third-person singular simple present boxcars, present participle boxcarring, simple past and past participle boxcarred)

1. (mathematics, transitive) To reduce to a boxcar function.