vagrant

/ˈvā-grənt/

Middle English vageraunt, vagraunt, borrowed from Anglo-French vageraunt, from present participle of vagrer "to wander about," probably blend of vaguer "to be unoccupied, wander about" (borrowed from Late Latin vagāre, Latin vagārī "to wander, roam") and waucrer, wakrer "to wander about," perhaps going back to Old Low Franconian (Frankish substratum of French) *walkaran-, frequentative derivative of Germanic *walkan- "to roll, toss"

noun

  1. someone who has no established residence and wanders idly from place to place without lawful or visible means of support

  2. someone whose conduct constitutes vagrancy under state statute or other applicable law or regulation

  3. wanderer, rover

adjective

  1. wandering about from place to place usually with no means of support

  2. wandering outside its normal geographic range; especially, of a bird : found outside its normal geographic range or migration route : accidental

  3. having a fleeting, wayward, or inconstant quality