Definition

Noun: 1. A person who sleeps in any convenient or makeshift place, often a homeless person or vagrant: This term specifically refers to someone who lacks a fixed, proper place to sleep and sleeps wherever they can find temporary shelter, such as in doorways, parks, or hostels.

Usage

The word "dosser" is a noun used to describe a person. It is a somewhat informal and potentially derogatory term, primarily used in British English. It focuses on the person's sleeping situation as a key characteristic.

Examples

• The charity provides hot meals for dossers sleeping rough in the city center.
• He was just another dosser, finding a dry spot under the bridge for the night.
• In Victorian London, dossers often crowded into cheap lodging houses.

Advanced Usage

• "Dosser" vs. "Tramp"/"Vagrant": While similar, "dosser" emphasizes the act of sleeping in improvised places. "Tramp" or "vagrant" may emphasize a nomadic lifestyle or begging.
• Cultural/Historical Context: The term is often associated with historical or social discussions about poverty and homelessness.

Variants and Related Words

• Doss (verb, informal, chiefly British): To sleep in a makeshift bed or cheap lodging.
  • Example: He dossed down on a friend's sofa for the week.
• Doss-house (noun, historical): A very cheap lodging house or hostel.
  • Example: The novel described the grim conditions of a London doss-house.

Synonyms

• Homeless person: A more neutral and modern term.
• Vagrant: A person without a settled home or regular work who wanders from place to place.
• Tramp (chiefly British): A person who travels from place to place on foot in search of work or as a vagrant.
• Derelict: A person without a home, job, or property (can be more pejorative).

Antonyms

• Householder: A person who owns or rents a house.
• Resident: A person who lives somewhere permanently or on a long-term basis.

Notes

The term "dosser" is considered dated and can be seen as insensitive. In contemporary, respectful discourse, terms like "homeless person," "person experiencing homelessness," or "rough sleeper" (specifically for someone sleeping outside) are preferred.

Noun

1. someone who sleeps in any convenient place