noun
Samaritan
suh-MA-rih-tuhn
noun
1
A kind person who helps someone in trouble, especially a stranger (from the biblical parable of the Good Samaritan).
"A passing samaritan stopped to help change her flat tyre."
How to Use Samaritan
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomeone who selflessly helps a stranger in need.
Common mistake
Usually appears as "Good Samaritan" (capitalized) in this sense; lowercase "samaritan" refers to a historical inhabitant of Samaria.
Common pairings
good samaritan
a passing samaritan
Word Forms
Samaritans plural, samaritans plural
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A passing _____ stopped to help change her flat tyre.
Etymology
From the biblical parable in Luke 10, in which a traveller from Samaria helps an injured stranger that others had ignored.