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.