noun
hoodlum
HOOD-lum/ˈhʊdləm/
A violent or criminal troublemaker.
The hoodlum smashes the parked car's window with a crowbar.
Etymology
The word first described young street rowdies in California, especially those involved in violence against Chinese immigrants. That early association with violence connects directly to its criminal-troublemaker sense.
In context
sharing blood money with a hoodlum your uncle paid for that policy with a pick and a shovel
More examples
- The shopkeeper calls the police when hoodlums start throwing bottles.
- Two hoodlums rob a passenger at the bus stop.
- She refuses to let a hoodlum intimidate her neighbors.
Forms
hoodlum · hoodlums