rag-and-bone man

American  

[rag-uhn-bohn] / ˈræg ənˈboʊn /

noun

British.

1. a peddler who buys and sells used clothes, rags, etc.; junkman.

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rag-and-bone man British  

noun

1. US equivalent: junkman.  Also called: ragman.   ragpicker.  a man who buys and sells discarded clothing, furniture, etc

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Etymology

Origin of rag-and-bone man

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rag-and-bone man

Exploring alternatives, he moves even further back on the historical scale, trying his luck as a rag-and-bone man.

From New York Times ● Jul. 17, 2016

The cache was discovered in the early 1980s in black binbags by rag-and-bone man George Stevens outside a scrap yard in Ardwick, Manchester.

From The Guardian ● Jul. 3, 2012

The voice of the rag-and-bone man, grew fainter and fainter round corners out of sight; Lima Street became as empty and uninteresting as the nursery.

From The Altar Steps by Compton MacKenzie

"The 'ouse, mum," said the rag-and-bone man, whose profession demanded tact and politeness.

From Mrs. Bindle Some Incidents from the Domestic Life of the Bindles by Hebert Jenkins

In her indescribable childish way she would coquet with a tax-collector or a rag-and-bone man or the Archbishop of Canterbury.

From The Morals of Marcus Ordeyne : a Novel by William John Locke