Definition of the word tramp

The word "tramp" has a complex and evolving history. The term originated in the 15th century as a noun referring to a hasty or careless step, likely derived from the Old French word "tramper," meaning "to walk hastily." By the 17th century, it took on a secondary meaning as a verb, meaning to travel or move about without a fixed purpose or direction. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the term gained a third meaning as a noun, referring to a vagrant or homeless person who walked from place to place without a fixed address. This sense of the word was influenced by the widespread poverty and unemployment of the time, as well as the image of the "hobo" or "vagabond" who traveled from town to town in search of work or adventure. Today, the word "tramp" is still used to describe both the act of walking hastily and the person who travels without a fixed purpose or direction.