Word of the Week: tatterdemalion (tăt-ər-dĭ-MĀL-yən) Definition (Noun) A person in tattered clothing; a ragged or beggarly fellow; a ragamuffin. In Context "Whenever his name was mentioned, she had a vague impression of a bearded tatterdemalion like Ben Gunn in Treasure Island, leading a lonely existence on some bleak, salty islet, his pants in rags and his wristwatch corroded from the seawater." Donna Tartt, The Little Friend, 2002.