mendicant
/ˈmɛn.dɪ.kənt/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: 2.18 in modern English
14
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
3
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Depending on alms for a living.
adj
Of or pertaining to a beggar.
adj
Of or pertaining to a member of a religious order forbidden to own property, and who must beg for a living.
Example Sentences
- "I made £150 by Alton Locke, and never lost a farthing; and I got, not in spite of, but by the rows, a name and a standing with many a one who would never have heard of me otherwise, and I should have been a stercoraceous mendicant if I had hollowed when I got a facer, while I was winning by the cross, though I didn't mean to fight one."
- "Across Ukraine, the initial shock over the confrontation, which culminated in President Donald Trump summarily dismissing Mr. Zelenskyy from the White House as if he were some ungrateful mendicant, has subsided."
Etymology
From Middle English mendicant, from Latin mendīcāns, present participle of mendīcō (“beg”). Compare French mendiant.
Origin
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈmɛn.dɪ.kənt/
- British English: /ˈmɛn.dɪ.kənt/