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thug

noun
/θʌɡ/

Etymology

Borrowed from Hindustani ठग (ṭhag) / ٹھگ (ṭhag, “swindler, fraud, cheat”), further derived from Prakrit 𑀞𑀕 (ṭhaga), of uncertain origin. See there for more. Thuggee was a network of gangs in India from the 17th century to the 19th century who robbed and murdered travellers, often by strangling and beating their victims to death. During British Imperial rule of India, many Indian words passed into common English, and by 1810 thug referred to a member of these Indian gangs. The sense was adopted more generally as "ruffian, cutthroat, and cruel robber" by 1839. Related to English thatch, deck.

  1. derived from 𑀞𑀕

Definitions

  1. A person who is a member of a gang or criminal organization.

  2. A violent, aggressive, or truculent person.

    • They call you a land of license—free but to thug and thief.
    • Every summer brought the prospect of the dragonships snaking their way upriver, each vessel filled with thirty or more rapacious thugs.
    • I pushed up out of my chaise and headed for the miniten court. Leah handed me her thug as I walked past her.

  3. A criminal that extorts people.

  4. ›+ 7 more definitions

    1. A person who use intimidation to coerce others.

    2. One of a band of assassins formerly active in northern India who worshipped Kali and…

      One of a band of assassins formerly active in northern India who worshipped Kali and sacrificed their victims to her.

    3. One who, usually as a result of social disadvantage, has turned to committing crimes…

      One who, usually as a result of social disadvantage, has turned to committing crimes (e.g. selling drugs, robbery, assault, etc.) to make a living; a gangsta.

    4. An overvigorous plant that spreads and dominates the flowerbed.

    5. A wooden bat used in the game of miniten, fitting around the player's hand.

    6. To commit acts of thuggery, to live the life of a thug, to menace, to commit crime.

      • Mr. Ingleby ascertained at the office—after threading the mazes of passage and staircase as though he expected momently to be Thugged—that his nephew had not yet come.
      • C.C. and Company. Another story about the young American motor-cycle hoodlum gangs: raping, thugging and robbing their way along the roads.

    7. (often with out) To appear as a thug

      (often with out) To appear as a thug; to dress and act in a manner reminiscent of a thug.

      • I don’t thug out, but I’m not Wall Street, either. Russell Simmons and Puffy have clothes for this look in the affordable range.
      • Oh. Besides Allen Iverson, basketball players don’t be thugged out enough for me. I like me a roughneck.
      • Well, I’d like to see more positive images of black men. Ones that don’t just go on about having a big dick, thugging and bashing on some girl.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for thug. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA