lazzarone
/ˌlɑːtsəˈroʊni/
noun
- A poor, often homeless person in Naples, Italy, especially one who lives by begging or odd jobs; sometimes used more generally for a lazy or shiftless person.
- The novel describes a lazzarone who spends his days begging near the port.
- Historically, the lazzarone were a distinct social class in southern Italy.
- In 19th-century Naples, the lazzarone were known for surviving on the streets with little work.