English Explanatory Dictionary

Abraham man

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A mentally ill beggar.
  2. Any beggar who pretends to be ill, physically or mentally, to obtain alms.

Pronunciation

/ˈeɪ.bɹəˌhæm mæn/ /ˈeɪ.bɹə.həm mæn/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Persent101-Abraham man.wav

Word forms

Abraham man Abraham men Abraham-man Abrahamman Abram man Abram-man Abramman

Etymology

From patients claiming, genuinely or not, to be temporarily discharged from the Abraham ward at Bethlem Royal Hospital (also known as Bedlam), a psychiatric hospital in London, for the purpose of begging. Possibly an allusion to a story in Luke 16, in which the beggar Lazarus ends up in Abraham's bosom. First use appears c. 1561 in The Fraternity of Vagabonds (1561) by John Awdely.

Synonyms

Abraham cove Abraham-cove Abram Abram-cove Abram cove Bedlam beggar God's minstrel Poor Tom Tom of Bedlam Tom of Bedlam's man

Derived words

sham Abraham sham Abram
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