tatterdemalion
1 synonym for tatterdemalion, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — Someone dressed in ragged, torn clothes.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Etymology
First attested circa 1608. An early spelling was tatter-de-mallion, rhymed with Italian. The first part of the word is tatter; the origin of the second part is uncertain; Ebenezer Cobham Brewer suggested it might be from de maillot (“shirt”).
Full origin of tatterdemalion →