Abraham-man
noun
Abra·ham-man
ˈābrəˌhamˌman,
-haa(ə)mˌmaa(ə)n;
ˈābrəmˌ-,
ˈābrəhəmˌ-
variants or less commonly Abram-man
ˈābrəmˌ-
plural Abraham-men also Abram-men
: one of a class of beggars who roamed through England especially in the 16th and 17th centuries usually feigning lunacy to obtain alms
Word History
Etymology
after Abraham or Abram, Biblical patriarch of the Jews; probably from the New Testament reference (Luke 16:19–31) to the beggar Lazarus, who is said to have rested in Abraham's bosom after death
First Known Use
1567, in the meaning defined above