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Meaning of Hooligan | Babel Free

Noun CEFR C2 Specialized
ˈhuː.lɪ.ɡən

Definitions

  1. A type of fish, an anadromous smelt, Thaleichthys pacificus, found in the North Pacific.
  2. A young person who causes trouble or violence, typically as a member of a gang or other group.
    attributive, informal
  3. Ellipsis of football hooligan.
    abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
  4. A member of the United States Coast Guard.
    US, slang

Equivalents

Azərbaycanca xuliqan
Български хулиган хулиганка
Esperanto huligano
Eesti huligaan
فارسی لات
Français casseur hooligan voyou
Gaeilge amhas amhasóir
Magyar huligán
Հայերեն խուլիգան
ქართული ხულიგანი
ខ្មែរ កាចកោង
Македонски хулиган хулиганка
മലയാളം ഗുണ്ട
မြန်မာဘာသာ လမ်းသရဲ
Português arruaceiro baderneiro hooligan vândalo
Română huligan
Slovenčina chuligán
Shqip rrugaç
Српски huligan хулиган
Svenska huligan
Тоҷикӣ авбош
Türkçe holigan maganda
Українська хуліган хуліганка
اردو غنڈہ
Oʻzbekcha xuligan
Tiếng Việt lưu manh

Examples

“She also heard boys from other classes behind her talking: “So, Teacher Tang is a female hooligan.””
“And I was in danger of turning into a right little hooligan if left to my wayward ways.”
““You are hooligan, you try to make trouble.” Sam paused, then continued. “Ah ha ha ha, I am right, I see it in your eyes. A hooligan!””
“These excursions abroad confirm that displacement has actually been a feature of the development of hooligan conflicts for some time, but an important wider point is that domestic hooligan displacement also seems to be a much more central issue today, as policing and other control strategies (segregation, seating, stewarding and CCTV in and around the larger English football grounds) have become more comprehensive, and especially as sentences for hooliganism have become much more forbidding.”
“Many professional Navy and Coast Guard men were inclined to scoff. What kind of Navy was this, and what did they think they were up to, anyway? This bunch of hooligans wouldn't be any good to anyone; wouldn't be worth the powder to blow 'em to hell. Hooligan's Navy.”
“It often seemed to Al that the entire Coast Guard was a little embarrassed about being Coast Guardsmen—except maybe the cocky bearded men off the convoy cutters, who needed to apologize to no man because of any lack of battle stars. But in general, Army and Navy guys looked down on Hooligans.”
“I frequently notice that the hooligans (a respectful reference to the U.S. Coast Guard) are a hard act to follow.”
“Navy crew along the rail shouted smart-ass remarks and jeered at the hooligan doing his job.”
“One year there was a strong wind. We couldn’t catch herring, but they were there. We caught lots of hooligans (smelt) and got through the year on those.”
“Haines and Klukwan hooligan harvesters reported that they exchanged hooligan products primarily for other food items, especially those unavailable in the Chilkat and Chilkoot area or those which were inaccessible to the harvester for various reasons. Respondents reported that virtually any wild food might be obtained for hooligan oil.”
“Low-gradient, clear water streams on the western side of Portage Pass provide spawning and rearing habitat for red salmon, silver salmon, pink salmon, chum salmon, hooligan (smelt), and Dolly Varden (U.S. Bureau of Land Management 1977b).”
“Hooligan (smelt) are often spotted from the point as they come in with the tide.”

CEFR level

C2
Mastery
This word is part of the CEFR C2 vocabulary — mastery level.
See all C2 English words →

See also

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