Obs. Forms: α. 5–6 vacabound(e, 5 wayka-). β. 5–6 vacabund(e. γ. 5–6 vacabond(e, 6 vaco-, vaka-). δ. 6 vacabo(u)n, wacabone. [a. OF. vacabonde (vacquabonde, vaccabon), app. an alteration of vagabond(e VAGABOND under the influence of L. vacāre (F. vaquer) to be unoccupied or idle.
The form survives in northern F. dialects, and in the 17th century Chifflet gives vacabond as the pron. of vagabond (Littré). In Anglo-L. of the 15–16th cent. vacabundus occurs in place of vagabundus.]
1. A person having no settled means of living or no fixed home; a vagabond.
α. 1404. in Ellis, Orig. Lett., Ser. II. I. 37. Al men of the forsaede shirs exepte fowre or five gentilmen & a fewe vacaboundis, woldin faene cum to pees.
1472. Presentments of Juries, in Surtees Misc. (1890), 24. John Bek is a vacabound. Ibid. (1483), 28. One Wrodyngton, a waykabound.
1530–1. Act 22 Hen. VIII., c. 12. It shall be leful to the constables … to arest the sayde vacaboundes and ydell persones.
1578. Whetstone, Promos & Cass., II. IV. i. Fetche me in all ydle vacaboundes.
β. 1453. Rolls of Parlt., V. 270/1. Thomas Watkynson … Yoman and Robert Withes late of Salley in the shire of York Vacabunde.
1495. Coventry Leet Bk., 568. All maner vacabundes & beggers myghty in body within þis Citie.
1530. Palsgr., 183. Vugz piegz, a payre of stockes to punysshe vacabundes.
1552. Nottingham Rec., IV. 103. Any vacabunde, suspect person, or nowghty people.
1584. Mirr. Mag., 16 b. He commaunded, that vnto a nomber of yong diseased vacabunds, there shuld be ministred a thin Diet, an excessiue labor, and cleanly lodging.
γ. 1472. Presentments of Juries, in Surtees Misc. (1890), 24. Thomas Dransfeld … liffez as a vacabond.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Huon, xxviii. 85. There was no begger, vacabonde, nor rybault … but by grete flockys they came.
1563. in Turner, Select. Rec. Oxford (1880), 303. Beggers or vakabondes do come into the Cytye.
1588. Greene, Perimedes, Wks. (Grosart), VII. 39. Hast thou these fourteen yeeres gone as a vacabonde about the world vnknowen and despised?
δ. 1556. Nottingham Rec. (1889), IV. 113. He dothe harber wacabones.
1567. Harman, Caveat, 19. Vagarantes and sturdy vacabons.
1571. R. Edwards, Damon & Pithias, E iij b. Betten with a codgell like a Slaue, a Vacaboun, or a lasie Lubber.
2. attrib. or as adj. (Cf. VAGABOND a.)
1538. Elyot, Errabundus, moche wanderynge, or vacabunde.
1550. J. Coke, Eng. & Fr. Heralds, § 190. The true beginning of the Frenchmen was by a vacabunde captayne named Marcomyrus.
1552. Huloet, Vacabund parson, erro.
1591. Savile, Tacitus, Hist., II. viii. 57. Adjoining vnto him certaine fugitiue and beggerly vacabond persons.
