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rôdeur

prowler, lurker

noun roh-DUHR Rare
People & Society Crime

Also means

rover, wanderer

Usage Note

Rôdeur comes from rôder ('to prowl, to roam') and carries a suspicious or threatening connotation — someone loitering with unclear intentions. The feminine form is rôdeuse. In a lighter sense it can describe a wanderer or someone who roams the streets, but the suspicious undertone usually prevails.

Examples

"Un rôdeur a été aperçu près de l'école."

Natural Translation

A prowler was spotted near the school.

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