What does "ragged" mean?
Ragged: Broken with rough edges; having jags; uneven; rough; jagged; as, ragged rocks.
Additional senses
- 2.Hence, harsh and disagreeable to the ear; dissonant. [R.] "A ragged noise of mirth." Herbert.
- 3.Wearing tattered clothes; as, a ragged fellow.
- 4.Rough; shaggy; rugged. What shepherd owns those ragged sheep Dryden. Ragged lady (Bot.), the fennel flower (Nigella Damascena). -- Ragged robin (Bot.), a plant of the genus Lychnis (L. Flos- cuculi), cultivated for its handsome flowers, which have the petals cut into narrow lobes. -- Ragged sailor (Bot.), 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. [Eng.] -- Rag"ged*ly, adv. -- Rag"ged*ness, n.
Sources
- Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
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- Published: 2026-07-17 · Modified: 2026-07-17