beggardom

US: (beg′ər dəm)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

beg•gar•dom  (beg′ər dəm), n. 

1. beggary (def. 2).

• beggar + -dom 1880–85

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

beg•gar /ˈbɛgɚ/   n. [countable]

1. a person who begs:
   Thousands of people became beggars in the streets after the war.
2. Chiefly Brit. a person;
   fellow:
   You lucky beggar!

v. [~ + object]

3. to cause to become a beggar;
   impoverish:
   The tyrant beggared the country at the expense of the people.

Idioms

4. beggar description, to be impossible to describe because words would be inadequate:
   The dirt, noise, and poverty of the place beggar description.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

beg•gar  (beg′ər), n. 

1. a person who begs alms or lives by begging.
2. a penniless person.
3. a wretched fellow;
   rogue:
   the surly beggar who collects the rents.
4. a child or youngster (usually prec. by little):
   a sudden urge to hug the little beggar.

v.t. 

5. to reduce to utter poverty;
   impoverish:
   The family had been beggared by the war.
6. to cause one's resources of or ability for (description, comparison, etc.) to seem poor or inadequate:
   The costume beggars description.

• Middle English beggare, beggere. See beg¹, -er¹, -ar³ 1175–1225

beg′gar•hood′, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

beggar / ˈbɛɡə/ noun

1. a person who begs, esp one who lives by begging
2. a person who has no money or resources; pauper
3. fellow: lucky beggar!

verb (transitive)

1. to be beyond the resources of (esp in the phrase to beggar description)
2. to impoverish; reduce to begging

ˈbeggarˌhood, ˈbeggardom noun