1. a person who searches for valuable objects in mud, especially along riverbanks or shores
Usage: historical
2. a person who enjoys playing or working in mud
Usage: informal

Examples

• Victorian mudlarks searched the Thames for coins and metal scraps.
• The museum displayed artifacts found by mudlarks along the river.
• Children became mudlarks after playing in the garden during the rainstorm.
• The archaeologist worked like a mudlark, carefully sifting through the muddy excavation site.
• Modern mudlarks need permits to search along the Thames foreshore.
• She didn’t mind getting dirty and was a real mudlark when it came to gardening.