Beggar Definition

bĕgər

beggars

noun

beggars

One who solicits alms for a living.

American Heritage

A person who begs, or asks for charity, esp. one who lives by begging; mendicant.

Webster's New World

An impoverished person; a pauper.

American Heritage

A person who is very poor; pauper.

Webster's New World

A man or a boy.

American Heritage

Synonyms:

Antonyms:

verb

beggars

To make a beggar of; impoverish.

American Heritage

To make a beggar of; make poor.

Webster's New World

To exceed the limits, resources, or capabilities of.

Beauty that beggars description.

American Heritage

To render (one's ability to do something) ultimately inadequate or pointless.

Her dazzling beauty beggars description; your outrageous story beggars belief.

Webster's New World

To make a beggar of someone; impoverish.

Wiktionary

Synonyms:

Other Word Forms of Beggar

Singular:

beggar

Plural:

Alternative etymology derives beggar from Old French begart, originally a member of the Beghards, a lay brotherhood of mendicants in the Low Countries, from Middle Dutch beggaert (“mendicant”), with pejorative suffix (see -ard); the order is said to be named after the priest Lambert le Bègue of Liège (French for “Lambert the Stammerer”).

From Wiktionary
From Middle English beggere, beggare, beggar (“beggar”), from beggen (“to beg”), equivalent to beg +‎ -er.

From Wiktionary
Middle English from Old French begart ultimately from Middle Dutch beggaert one who rattles off prayers

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition