ragamuffin
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
See also: Ragamuffin
English
[edit]Alternative forms
[edit]Etymology
[edit]From the Middle English Ragamuffyn. Of uncertain origin, according to Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable: A muffin is a poor thing of a creature, a ‘regular muff’; so that a ragamuffin is a sorry creature in rags.
Pronunciation
[edit]Noun
[edit]ragamuffin (plural ragamuffins)
- A dirty, shabbily-clothed child; an urchin.
- c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii], page 71:
- I haue led my rag of Muffins where they are pepper'd: there's not three of my 150 left aliue; and they for the Townes end, to beg during life.
- 1869, Louisa M[ay] Alcott, “Harvest Time”, in Little Women: […], part second, Boston, Mass.: Roberts Brothers, →OCLC, page 348:
- “But may I inquire how you intend to support the establishment? If all the pupils are little ragamuffins, I’m afraid your crop won’t be profitable in a worldly sense, Mrs. Bhaer.”
- [1877], Anna Sewell, “The Election”, in Black Beauty: […], London: Jarrold and Sons, […], →OCLC, part III, page 206:
- "They called her a little blue raggamuffin, father," said Harry, who ran in, looking very angry; "but I have given it to them, they won't insult my sister again. […]"
- 1882, Mark Twain, chapter 12, in The Prince and the Pauper:
- 'Yes, he is mine—I took him, a homeless little ragamuffin, but I saw what was in him, and I said his name would be heard some day—behold him, observe him—was I right?'
- 1905, Upton Sinclair, chapter XVIII, in The Jungle, New York, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 26 February 1906, →OCLC:
- After walking a ways, Jurgis met a little ragamuffin whom he hailed: "Hey, sonny!"
- 1916, John Buchan, chapter 15, in Greenmantle:
- He had found out the house of Frau von Einem without much trouble, and had performed with his ragamuffins in the servants' quarters.
- 1984, Douglas Adams, chapter 21, in So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), page 112:
- A boy of the cheery gypsy ragamuffin variety.
- (slang) A hooligan or troublemaker.
- Alternative letter-case form of Ragamuffin (“breed of domestic cat”)
Usage notes
[edit]Currently this word is slang, often (but not always) used either for anachronistic effect or as dialogue in historical fiction.
Derived terms
[edit]Related terms
[edit]Translations
[edit]dirty, shabbily-clothed child
|
Further reading
[edit]- Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “ragamuffin”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
- “ragamuffin n.”, in Green’s Dictionary of Slang, Jonathon Green, 2016–present
Italian
[edit]Alternative forms
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Borrowed from English ragamuffin.
Pronunciation
[edit]Noun
[edit]ragamuffin m (uncountable)
Further reading
[edit]- ragamuffin in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana
- ragamuffin in Dizionario Italiano Olivetti, Olivetti Media Communication
Categories:
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English 4-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- English lemmas
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- English terms with quotations
- English slang
- Italian terms borrowed from English
- Italian terms derived from English
- Italian 4-syllable words
- Italian terms with IPA pronunciation
- Rhymes:Italian/affin
- Rhymes:Italian/affin/4 syllables
- Italian lemmas
- Italian nouns
- Italian uncountable nouns
- Italian masculine nouns
- it:Music