Meaning of carpetbagger in English

Table of contents
  1. Pronunciation
  2. Noun
    1. Etymology
    2. Definitions

  1. Pronunciation

    /ˈkɑrpətˌbæɡər/

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    UK accent Play button

  1. Noun

    carpetbagger

    Etymology

    mid 19th century: originally applied to people from the northern states of the US who went to the South after the Civil War to profit from the Reconstruction

    Definitions

    1. an outsider who seeks power or success presumptuously

    Examples

    • « after the Civil War the carpetbaggers from the north tried to take over the south »

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