noun
panhandler
PAN-han-dler/ˈpænhændlər/
A person who asks strangers for money in public.
The panhandler asks a passerby for money.
Etymology
A panhandler is someone who engages in panhandle, an older term for begging. That term perhaps pictured an outstretched arm like a pan’s handle, or someone handling a beggar’s pan.
In context
a panhandler asked me for a nickel for a cup of coffee
More examples
- The outreach worker spoke with the panhandler.
- The report examined how the city treated panhandlers.
- He stopped to listen to the panhandler’s request.
Forms
panhandler · panhandlers
panhandle verb — ask strangers for money
Similar words
- beggar
- Beggar is broader and can sound stigmatizing; panhandler specifically asks strangers for money in public.
- busker
- A busker performs publicly for contributions; panhandling does not require a performance.