pariah Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a person who is rejected (from society or home)
    castaway; Ishmael; outcast.

WordNet

Pa"ri*ah noun
Etymology
From Tamil paraiyan, pl. paraiyar, one of the low caste, fr. parai a large drum, because they beat the drums at certain festivals.
Definitions
  1. One of an aboriginal people of Southern India, regarded by the four castes of the Hindoos as of very low grade. They are usually the serfs of the Sudra agriculturalists. See Caste. Balfour (Cyc. of India).
  2. An outcast; one despised by society.

Webster 1913