urchin
/' :t in/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A poor, often mischievous city child: An "urchin" refers to a child, typically one who is poor, lives in an urban area, and is perceived as being cheeky or roguish. This usage often carries a somewhat old-fashioned or literary tone.
- (Zoology) A sea urchin: In biology, "urchin" is a common short form for "sea urchin," a spiny, globular marine animal.
Usage and Examples
- Noun (Child):
- The Victorian novel featured a street urchin who survived by his wits.
- She watched the little urchins playing football in the alley.
- Noun (Sea creature):
- We saw colorful urchins on the coral reef while snorkeling.
- Be careful not to step on an urchin; its spines can be painful.
Advanced Usage and Nuances
- The term "street urchin" is a common collocation that explicitly specifies a child living or spending most of their time on the streets, often implying homelessness or neglect.
- When used for a child, "urchin" can sometimes convey a sense of endearing mischief rather than just delinquency, depending on context.
- In modern usage, referring to a child as an "urchin" is less common and can be considered dated or stylized.
Variants and Related Words
- Street urchin (n.): The full, more specific term for a poor, mischievous city child.
- Sea urchin (n.): The full term for the marine echinoderm.
- Urchin-like (adj.): Resembling or characteristic of an urchin (either meaning).
Synonyms
- For the child: Ragamuffin, waif, guttersnipe, imp, scamp.
- For the sea creature: Echinoderm (scientific category).
Notes on Meaning
- The primary modern meaning is almost exclusively the zoological one ("sea urchin").
- The meaning referring to a child is now chiefly found in historical contexts, classic literature, or used for deliberate stylistic effect. It originally stemmed from a Middle English word for a hedgehog, drawing a comparison to the seemingly rough, prickly, or wild nature of such a child.
Noun
- poor and often mischievous city child