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malfrat

crook, criminal

noun mal-FRAH Rare
People & Society Crime

Usage Note

Malfrat is a colloquial, slightly dated term for a low-level criminal or thug, common in crime fiction and journalism. It is masculine; there is no standard feminine form. In everyday speech it can be used with mild irony or humour to describe a petty rogue.

Examples

"La police a arrêté plusieurs malfrats du quartier."

Natural Translation

The police arrested several local crooks.

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