skell

Definition

a homeless person, especially one who sleeps in the New York subway.

Etymology

* Perhaps from skeleton, describing the often skeletal appearance of drug users. * Alternatively, from skellum or skelder ("to beg in the streets"). Used by Ben Jonson, 1599. * In the sense of a suspicious person, popularized by the American TV police drama NYPD Blue.

Example Sentences

• "Did you see those two skells lying in the doorway?"