Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

bindle-stiff

noun

/ˈbɪndl stɪf/

Definition

A bindle-stiff is a term used to refer to a transient worker, especially a traveling laborer, who carries their belongings in a bundle or ‘bindle’.

Examples

The bindle-stiff wandered from town to town, hoping to find odd jobs.
Many bindle-stiffs took to the railroads during the 1930s, seeking a better life.

Meaning

The word often evokes images of hobos or itinerant workers during the Great Depression who traveled from place to place in search of work, carrying their few possessions with them.