homeboy
/ˈhoʊm.bɔɪ/ noun, pronoun
Forms homeboys
- noun (colloquial) Someone, particularly a male acquaintance, from one’s hometown.
- noun (colloquial, African-American Vernacular) A close friend or fellow member of a youth gang.
- noun (colloquial) A person.
- pronoun (African-American Vernacular, slang) He or him.
Etymology
20th-century African-American urban slang. Originated from travelers to metropolitan areas derived from American English as a blend of hometown + boy. However, modern use is mostly by African-Americans and Latinos in the United States.
Sources: Wiktionary — from the Wiktionary entry “homeboy”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details