A man who receives alms (charity) or lives in an almshouse.
From 'alms' + 'man.' This term specifically denoted male recipients of charity, used primarily in medieval and early modern English.
The specific terms 'almsman' and 'almswoman' reveal how poverty had gendered dimensions—records show almshouses sometimes segregated residents by gender and had different rules for men and women.
Almsman uses '-man' suffix to denote a male recipient of alms; generic masculine defaults to men despite women being substantial alms recipients across history.
Use 'alms recipient' or 'charity recipient' instead. If distinguishing gender, use 'almsman' and 'almswoman' explicitly rather than defaulting male language.
["alms recipient","charity recipient","almswoman (for women)"]
Poor and destitute women received and administered charity work historically but were often rendered invisible by male-defaulted terminology in almshouse records.
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