Ragamuffin (ˈraɡəmʌfɪn)

Ragamuffin (noun) comes from the English that was used during the Middle Ages.

You’ve probably heard the word rag, right? A dirty and scruffy piece of old cloth. So it’ll make sense to know that a ragamuffin is a person who wears dirty and scruffy clothes – clothes that are just like rags! It’s usually used for children, and you may also sometimes hear it used to describe scruffy-looking animals.

The next time you hear someone say,

“I send my children to school dressed smartly, and they come home like little ragamuffins!”

You’ll know exactly what they mean!