Budgeon
/ˈbʌdʒən/noun
An obsolete cant term for a thief or vagrant who disguised himself as a beggar.
Did you know?Sixteenth- and seventeenth-century cant dictionaries associated budgeons with deceptive beggars and nighttime robbery, reflecting deep suspicion toward itinerant strangers.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bhelgh-
“To swell or bulge; the reconstructed root behind words for rounded containers and swelling forms.”
Ancient Latin
Latin
bulga
“A leather bag or pouch.”
12th–13th Century
Old French
bouge
“A leather bag, wallet, or pouch; the source of English budge.”
Middle English
English
budge
“Lambskin or fur, and later clothing or material associated with it.”
16th Century
English cant
budgeon
“A deceptive beggar or thief, apparently formed from budge with the agentive suffix -on.”
Modern English
English
budgeon
“An obsolete term for a vagrant or thief posing as a beggar.”