ragman

noun — 4 senses

ragman

noun

Etymology From rag + man.

1

A person who collects and sells unwanted household items such as rags and other refuse for a living, a rag and bone man.

For travellers have to carry bags, / And swagmen have to hump their swags / Like bottle-ohs or ragmen.1918, Norman Lindsay, The Magic Pudding, page 14:
Oh, the ragman draws circles / Up and down the block / I'd ask him what the matter was / But I know that he don't talk1966, Bob Dylan, “Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again”, in Blonde on Blonde:

ragman

noun

Etymology Unknown.

1

Historical A statute issued by Edward I in 1276.

2

Obsolete A document having many names or seals, such as a papal bull.

He bonched hem with his breuet · & blered here eyes / And rauȝte with his ragman · rynges and broches […]c. 1390, William Langland, Piers Plowman, Prologue:

3

Historical A game in which players compete to pull an object from out of a roll of writing.

Related terms: ragman roll, Ragman's Roll

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.