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urchin — a mischievous child, typically one who is poorly or raggedly dressed

Part of speech: NOUN

Definition: a mischievous child, typically one who is poorly or raggedly dressed

Pronunciation (IPA): /ˈɜːrtʃɪn/

Example Sentences

  • The chef accidentally grabbed a sea urchin instead of a stress ball during his kitchen breakdown.
  • That little urchin next door keeps stealing my newspapers to make paper airplanes.
  • The street urchins formed their own detective agency to solve neighborhood mysteries.

urchin

NOUN

[/ˈɜːrtʃɪn/]

a mischievous child, typically one who is poorly or raggedly dressed

a mischievous child, typically one who is poorly or raggedly dressed
💡 Concept

a mischievous child, typically one who is poorly or raggedly dressed

The little urchin keeps searching!
🎵 Rhyme

The little urchin keeps searching!

Got the picture? Now let's practice.

🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/ˈɜːrtʃɪn/
🇬🇧 UK/ˈɜːtʃɪn/

🌳Etymology

Rooturchin

Origin

The word derives from Middle French 'hérisson', meaning hedgehog. The term was semantically extended to refer to sea urchins due to their spiky, small appearance resembling that of hedgehogs, and later broadened to denote small, unimportant-looking children.

Breakdown

hérisson (hedgehog, from Old French 'hérisson') → urchin, with the semantic shift motivated by the spiny appearance shared between hedgehogs and sea creatures.

🎵Rhyme

urchin
searching
perching

🔗Collocations

street urchin
sea urchin
little urchin
mischievous urchin
ragged urchin

📝Examples

😄 Fun example

“The chef accidentally grabbed a sea urchin instead of a stress ball during his kitchen breakdown.”

😄 Fun example

“That little urchin next door keeps stealing my newspapers to make paper airplanes.”

“The street urchins formed their own detective agency to solve neighborhood mysteries.”

“Sea urchins are considered a delicacy in many coastal restaurants.”

📚Related Words

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