mendicant

men·di·cant  (mnd-knt)

adj.

Depending on alms for a living; practicing begging.

n.

1. A beggar.

2. A member of an order of friars forbidden to own property in common, who work or beg for their living.

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[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin mendcns, mendcant-, present participle of mendcre, to beg, from mendcus, needy, beggar, from mendum, physical defect.]

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mendi·can·cy, men·dici·ty (-ds-t) n.

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mendicant

Adjective

1. begging

2. (of a monk, nun, etc.) dependent on charity for food

Noun

1. a mendicant friar

2. a beggar [Latin mendicus beggar]

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	mendicant - a male member of a religious order that originally relied solely on alms friar religious - a member of a religious order who is bound by vows of poverty and chastity and obedience Carmelite, White Friar - a Roman Catholic friar wearing the white cloak of the Carmelite order; mendicant preachers Black Friar, Blackfriar, Dominican, friar preacher - a Roman Catholic friar wearing the black mantle of the Dominican order Franciscan, Grey Friar - a Roman Catholic friar wearing the grey habit of the Franciscan order Augustinian - a Roman Catholic friar or monk belonging to one of the Augustinian monastic orders
	2.	mendicant - a pauper who lives by begging beggar beggarman - a man who is a beggar beggarwoman - a woman who is a beggar cadger, mooch, moocher, scrounger - someone who mooches or cadges (tries to get something free) panhandler - a beggar who approaches strangers asking for money pauper - a person who is very poor sannyasi, sannyasin, sanyasi - a Hindu religious mendicant
Adj.	1.	mendicant - practicing beggary; "mendicant friars" beseeching, imploring, pleading - begging