from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Ragged \Rag"ged\ (r[a^]g"g[e^]d), a. [From {Rag}, n.]
1. Rent or worn into tatters, or till the texture is broken;
as, a ragged coat; a ragged sail.
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2. Broken with rough edges; having jags; uneven; rough;
jagged; as, ragged rocks.
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3. Hence, harsh and disagreeable to the ear; dissonant. [R.]
"A ragged noise of mirth." --Herbert.
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4. Wearing tattered clothes; as, a ragged fellow.
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5. Rough; shaggy; rugged.
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What shepherd owns those ragged sheep? --Dryden.
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{Ragged lady} (Bot.), the fennel flower ({Nigella
Damascena}).
{Ragged robin} (Bot.), a plant of the genus {Lychnis}
({Lychnis Flos-cuculi}), cultivated for its handsome
flowers, which have the petals cut into narrow lobes.
{Ragged sailor} (Bot.), prince's feather ({Polygonum
orientale}).
{Ragged school}, a free school for poor children, where they
are taught and in part fed; -- a name given at first
because they came in their common clothing. [Eng.]
[1913 Webster] -- {Rag"ged*ly}, adv. -- {Rag"ged*ness}, n.
[1913 Webster] Raggie