Hobo vs. Bum — What's the Difference?
Difference Between Hobo and Bum
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Compare with Definitions
Hobo
A hobo is a migrant worker or homeless vagrant, especially one who is impoverished. The term originated in the Western—probably Northwestern—United States around 1890.
Bum
A tramp; a vagrant.
Hobo
A homeless person; a tramp or vagrant.
Bum
A lazy or shiftless person, especially one who seeks to live solely by the support of others.
Hobo
One who wanders from place to place without a permanent home or a means of livelihood.
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Bum
An incompetent, insignificant, or obnoxious person
The batter called the pitcher a bum.
Hobo
A migrant worker.
Bum
One who spends a lot of time doing a particular recreational activity
A beach bum.
A ski bum.
Hobo
Also hobo bag A large, crescent-shaped handbag with a single shoulder strap and usually a zippered top.
Bum
The buttocks.
Hobo
To live or wander like a vagrant.
Bum
To live by begging and scavenging from place to place. Often used with around.
Hobo
(North America) A wandering homeless person, especially (historical) one illegally travelling by rail or (pejorative) a penniless, unemployed bum.
Bum
To pass time idly; loaf. Often used with around.
Hobo
(North America) Any migratory laborer, whether homeless or not.
Bum
(Informal) To be depressed, disheartened, or dismayed
After our team lost the championship, we were bumming.
Hobo
A kind of large handbag.
Bum
To acquire by begging; cadge.
Hobo
To be a hobo, tramp, bum etc.
Joe idly hoboed through half the country till he realized hoboing never gets you anywhere in life.
Bum
(Informal) To depress, dishearten, or dismay. Often used with out.
Hobo
A professional tramp; one who spends his life traveling from place to place, esp. by stealing rides on trains, and begging for a living.
Bum
Inferior; worthless
Gave me bum advice.
Did a bum job of fixing the car.
Hobo
A disreputable vagrant;
A homeless tramp
He tried to help the really down-and-out bums
Bum
Disabled; malfunctioning
A bum shoulder.
Bum
Unfavorable or unfair
Got a bum deal on my final grade for the course.
Bum
Unpleasant; lousy
Had a bum time at the party.
Bum
The buttocks.
Okay, everyone sit on your bum and try and touch your toes.
Bum
The anus.
Bum
A homeless person, usually a man.
Bum
A lazy, incompetent, or annoying person, usually a man.
Fred is becoming a bum - he's not even bothering to work more than once a month.
That mechanic's a bum - he couldn't fix a yo-yo.
That guy keeps interrupting the concert. Throw the bum out!
Bum
A player or racer who often performs poorly.
Trade him to another team, he's a bum!
Bum
(colloquial) A drinking spree.
Bum
(dated) A humming noise.
Bum
(obsolete) A bumbailiff.
Bum
To sodomize; to engage in anal sex.
Bum
To ask someone to give one (something) for free; to beg for something.
Can I bum a cigarette off you?
Bum
To stay idle and unproductive, like a hobo or vagabond.
I think I'll just bum around downtown for awhile until dinner.
Bum
To wet the end of a marijuana cigarette (spliff).
Bum
To depress; to make unhappy.
Bum
(intransitive) To make a murmuring or humming sound.
Bum
(UK) An expression of annoyance.
Bum
Of poor quality or highly undesirable.
Bum note
Bum
Unfair.
Bum deal
Bum
Injured and without the possibility of full repair, defective.
I can't play football anymore on account of my bum knee.
Bum
Unpleasant or unhappy.
He had a bum trip on that mescaline.
Bum
The buttock.
Bum
A humming noise.
Bum
To make murmuring or humming sound.
Bum
To borrow without intention of returning; to cadge; as, to bum a cigarette; to bum a cup of coffee; - usually with inexpensive items as the object.
Bum
A person who is deemed to be despicable or contemptible;
Only a rotter would do that
Kill the rat
Throw the bum out
You cowardly little pukes!
The British call a contemptible person a `git'
Bum
A disreputable vagrant;
A homeless tramp
He tried to help the really down-and-out bums
Bum
Person who does no work;
A lazy bum
Bum
The fleshy part of the human body that you sit on;
He deserves a good kick in the butt
Are you going to sit on your fanny and do nothing?
Bum
Ask for and get free; be a parasite
Bum
Be lazy or idle;
Her son is just bumming around all day
Bum
Of very poor quality
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