bum

Universal Words noun, verb, adjective noun (informal) 1 (BrE) the part of the body that you sit on SYNBACKSIDE, BEHIND, BOTTOM 2 (especially AmE) a person who has no home or job and who asks other people for money or food: a beach bum (= sb who spends all their time on the beach, without having a job) 3 a lazy person who does nothing for other people or for society: He's nothing but a no-good bum! IDIOMS bums on seats (BrE, informal) used to refer to the number of people who attend a show, talk, etc., especially when emphasizing the need or desire to attract a large number: They're not bothered about attracting the right audience-they just want bums on seats. verb (-mm-) [VN] 1 ~ sth (off sb) (informal) to get sth from sb by asking: Can I bum a cigarette off you? 2 ~ sb (out) (AmE, informal) to make sb feel upset or disappointed PHRASALVERBS bum around / about (informal) to travel around or spend your time with no particular plans: He bummed around the world for a year. adjective [onlybeforenoun] (informal) of bad quality; wrong or useless: He didn't play one bum note. * a bum deal (= a situation where you do not get what you deserve or have paid for)