urchin
noun /ˈɜːtʃɪn/
/ˈɜːrtʃɪn/
- (old-fashioned) a young child who is poor and dirty, often one who has no home
- a dirty little street urchin
- (also sea urchin)a small sea creature with a round shell that is covered with spikes
Word OriginMiddle English hirchon, urchon ‘hedgehog’, from Old Northern French herichon, based on Latin hericius ‘hedgehog’.