A person who cleans the shoes of passers-by for payment.
〈旧，主英〉擦鞋匠
Example sentencesExamples
Two seemingly harmless and careless shoeblacks turn out to be gloomy crooks with a dirty plan to rob a bank courier.
We see shoeblacks and lamplighters with their tools and utensils; and milkmaids, fruit sellers and prostitutes touting their wares.
I never heard a shoeblack called a boot-finisher before, but I think the euphemism was allowable in a young lady who wishes to exalt the commercial status of her intended.
Unemployment is high and many people support themselves with badly paid work in the ‘informal sector’ as shoeblacks or street vendors.
One's senses were assaulted by news vendors, shoeblacks, quack doctors and the like and their specimens of cajolery.
Definition of shoeblack in US English:
shoeblack
nounˈSHo͞oˌblakˈʃuˌblæk
British dated
A person who shines the shoes of passersby for payment.
〈旧，主英〉擦鞋匠
Example sentencesExamples
I never heard a shoeblack called a boot-finisher before, but I think the euphemism was allowable in a young lady who wishes to exalt the commercial status of her intended.
Two seemingly harmless and careless shoeblacks turn out to be gloomy crooks with a dirty plan to rob a bank courier.
We see shoeblacks and lamplighters with their tools and utensils; and milkmaids, fruit sellers and prostitutes touting their wares.
One's senses were assaulted by news vendors, shoeblacks, quack doctors and the like and their specimens of cajolery.
Unemployment is high and many people support themselves with badly paid work in the ‘informal sector’ as shoeblacks or street vendors.