ragamuffin

noun rag·a·muf·fin \ ˈra-gə-ˌmə-fən \

: a ragged often disreputable person; especially : a poorly clothed often dirty child

See ragamuffin defined for English-language learners

ragamuffin was our Word of the Day on 08/21/2014. Hear the podcast!

Recent Examples of ragamuffin from the Web

This world teems with joyous Lower East Side ragamuffins, outfitted by costume designer Carol Sorensen.

— hugh hunter, Philly.com, "'Newsies' at Media Theatre teems with energy," 14 May 2018
Baker’s new exploitation mode includes lurid, nursery-school pastels and ragamuffin kids who curse, vandalize, and set fires.

— armond white, National Review, "Blade Runner 2049 : The Politics of Hollywood Hacks," 6 Oct. 2017
Ragamuffins comfortably seats 49 people on the main level with additional meeting space downstairs.

— patti restivo, Laurel Leader, "Spiritual brews at new Main Street coffee house," 3 May 2017
RUTGERS SCARLET KNIGHTS Hard to believe the Gophers EVER lost to these ragamuffins.

— kevin cusick, Twin Cities, "The Loop Ten: 2-13-17," 13 Feb. 2017
And Derek Klena as cavalier hunk and all-around ragamuffin Dmitry.

— diana bruk, Seventeen, ""Anastasia" Is Coming to Broadway And The First Images Are Breathtaking," 30 Aug. 2016
Ragamuffins gets its coffee from La Colombe Coffee Roasters headquartered in Philadelphia.

— patti restivo, Laurel Leader, "Spiritual brews at new Main Street coffee house," 3 May 2017
Tuinstra said the City Council has mentioned meeting at Ragamuffins for coffee.

— patti restivo, Laurel Leader, "Spiritual brews at new Main Street coffee house," 3 May 2017
While still in his teens, Pacino became one of the ragamuffins loitering outside the HB Studio on Bank Street in Greenwich Village, waiting for acting class to start.

— jimmy breslin, Esquire, "The Oddfather," 20 Mar. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ragamuffin.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

If you’ve guessed that rag or ragged is related to ragamuffin, you may be correct, but the origins of the word are somewhat murky. In Middle English the term functioned both as a surname and generically to denote a ragged and sometimes stupid person, and in the Middle English alliterative poem Piers Plowman William Langland used the word to serve as the name of a demon. The muffin part of ragamuffin may have its origin in either of two Anglo-Norman words for a devil or scoundrel, but that too is uncertain. No matter its muddied history: the word has continued to develop in modern times. It can also refer to a type of music with rap lyrics and a reggae beat, a meaning that can be found at Merriam-Webster Unabridged.