tattered

[tat-erd]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR tattered ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

torn to tatters; ragged: a tattered flag.

wearing ragged clothing: a tattered old man.

Nearby words

Origin of tattered

1300–50; Middle English; see tatter¹ (noun), -ed³

Related formsun·tat·tered, adjective

tatter

[tat-er]

noun

a torn piece hanging loose from the main part, as of a garment or flag.

a separate torn piece; shred.

tatters, torn or ragged clothing: dressed in rags and tatters.

verb (used with object)

to tear or wear to tatters.

verb (used without object)

to become ragged.

Origin of tatter

1375–1425; (noun) late Middle English < Old Norse tǫturr rag, tatter; akin to Old English tætteca rag, shred; (v.) back formation from tattered

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for tattered

They have the tattoos, the face paint, and the tattered clothes, and they hold the door for people and say “thank you.”
A Report From the Misunderstood Gathering of the Juggalos|Steve Miller|July 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The works are shown sequentially, opening with the original photo of Freud in all its tattered glory.
Jasper Johns: The Secrets of a Master at Work|Justin Jones|March 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Instead of playing the young anti-Christ, he now wears a tattered robe and helps deliver the baby, who is no longer real.
The House of Shock Is Terrifying Its Guests and Causing Controversy—and the Zombies Who Run the Show Are Loving It|Tyler Gillespie|October 25, 2013|DAILY BEAST
They called the tattered blue garments from which their eyes peered out through net material “their prisons.”
The World’s Most Vulnerable Mayor|Janine di Giovanni|March 2, 2013|DAILY BEAST

In the months ahead, repairing that tattered sense of trust may prove to be even tougher than the fight against the Taliban.
Afghanistan: The Friendship That Went Up in Flames|Sami Yousafzai, Ron Moreau|February 27, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The shivering sentinel quickens his step along the rampart, and the half-naked Indian folds his tattered blanket close around him.
The Conspiracy of Pontiac and the Indian War after the Conquest of Canada|Francis Parkman
The last words were addressed to a boy in a tattered jacket, who was racing after a passing carriage.
Trevlyn Hold|Mrs. Henry Wood
In addition to the tattered garments, the old man gave him a hat, a sword, and a lame old horse.
The Myths of the North American Indians|Lewis Spence
He rose again, slipping something into his pocket of his tattered coat.
Fortitude|Hugh Walpole
He and his little force, carrying with them their tattered flag, were taken on board a Union ship to New York.
The Story of American History|Albert F. Blaisdell

British Dictionary definitions for tattered

tattered

adjective

ragged or worna tattered old book

wearing ragged or torn clothingtattered refugees

damaged, defeated, or in disarrayhe believes he can bring the tattered party together

tatter

verb

to make or become ragged or worn to shreds

noun

(plural) torn or ragged pieces, esp of material

in tatters

torn to pieces; in shreds
destroyed or ruined

Word Origin for tatter

C14: of Scandinavian origin; compare Icelandic töturr rag, Old English tættec, Old High German zæter rag

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for tattered

tatter

mid-14c., "clad in slashed garments," from Old Norse toturr "rag," cognate with Old English tættec, tætteca "rag, tatter," Low German tater "tatter." The noun is attested from c.1400.

tattered

adjective

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Nearby words

Origin of tattered

tatter

noun

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

Origin of tatter

Examples from the Web for tattered

tattered

adjective

tatter

verb

noun

Word Origin for tatter

tatter