Gamin
noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A homeless boy; a male street urchin; also (more generally), a cheeky, street-smart boy. also, attributive, dated
"Dearest Eloise,— There is one little and perhaps insignificant French cake, which I feel certain would soon become a favourite in the cottage, more particularly amongst its juvenile inhabitants. It is the famed galette, the melodramatic food of the gamins, galopins, mechanics, and semi-artists of France."
- 2 (sometimes offensive) a homeless boy who has been abandoned and roams the streets wordnet
Antonyms
All antonymsExample
More examples"Dearest Eloise,— There is one little and perhaps insignificant French cake, which I feel certain would soon become a favourite in the cottage, more particularly amongst its juvenile inhabitants. It is the famed galette, the melodramatic food of the gamins, galopins, mechanics, and semi-artists of France."
Etymology
Borrowed from French gamin (“street urchin; young boy”), apparently an “eastern dialect” word of unknown origin.
Related phrases
More for "gamin"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.