| ragged | 1. Rent or worn into tatters, or till the texture is broken; as, a ragged coat; a ragged sail. 2. Broken with rough edges; having jags; uneven; rough; jagged; as, ragged rocks. 3. Hence, harsh and disagreeable to the ear; dissonant. "A ragged noise of mirth." 4. Wearing tattered clothes; as, a ragged fellow. 5. Rough; shaggy; rugged. <botany> "What shepherd owns those ragged sheep ?" (Dryden) Ragged lady, prince's feather (Polygonum orientale). Ragged school, a free school for poor children, where they are taught and in part fed; a name given at first because they came in their common clothing. Rag"gedly, Rag"gedness. Origin: From Rag. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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