Fagin
/ˈfeɪɡɪn/noun
A fictional character in Charles Dickens's novel Oliver Twist, a Jewish fence and leader of a gang of child thieves.
Did you know?Unlike words such as *glamour* or *nightmare*, *Fagin* has no hidden magical root: it entered English as a literary proper name from Dickens’s 1838 novel *Oliver Twist*, and only later acquired offensive slang use.
Etymological Timeline
1838
English
Fagin
“A fictional character in *Oliver Twist*, a criminal receiver of stolen goods and exploiter of children.”
Late 19th Century
English
fagin
“An offensive slang term for a person who exploits or trains children for theft, especially in British criminal slang.”
20th Century
English
fagin
“A derogatory term used for a person seen as a corrupting adult influence on children.”
Modern English
English
fagin
“A rare, offensive term derived from Dickens's character, not a standard neutral dictionary word.”