Canaille is a noun that refers to the common people or the masses.
The Italian word canaglia (ca NAHL ya) was originally interpreted as ‘a pack of dogs.’ After being imported into English, it came to refer to a lowly group of people, or the masses. Example: Arthur always prided himself on his upscale taste in music. He didn’t care for the wild dance music of the canaille. He regarded anything fun as something lowly for the masses.
