ragman

noun

rag·​man ˈrag-ˌman How to pronounce ragman (audio)
: a man who collects or deals in rags

Examples of ragman in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web His father worked as a ragman (hence the title of Mr. Douglas’s autobiography) who never was able to crack the American dream and took out his frustrations on his son. Jay Carr, BostonGlobe.com, 5 Feb. 2020 Sandy Alderson, the Mets’ general manager, has proved a fine ragman by picking players off scrap heaps. The New York Times, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2016

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ragman.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1649, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ragman was in 1649

Dictionary Entries Near ragman

Cite this Entry

“Ragman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ragman. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

ragman

noun
rag·​man ˈrag-ˌman How to pronounce ragman (audio)
: a collector of or dealer in rags
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