- Today's Word
Tatterdemalion
[tat-er-dih-MAY-lee-un]
Definition
- (noun) A person who is dressed in ragged, torn, or shabby clothing. It often refers to someone who appears unkempt, disheveled, or down on their luck.
Example
The once-prosperous businessman, now a tatterdemalion, wandered the streets in his threadbare coat, a shadow of his former self.
Fun Fact
The word “tatterdemalion” has been in use since the 1600s and is thought to be derived from the word “tatter,” meaning a torn piece of cloth, and the name “Malevole,” a character from the 1604 play “The Malcontent” by John Marston, who was known for his ragged appearance.
(verb) To speak falsely or maliciously about someone; to misrepresent or defame
The tabloid had traduced the actress so thoroughly that even her closest colleagues began to doubt her.
Traduce derives from the Latin traducere — from trans (“across”) + ducere (“to lead”) — meaning literally “to lead across” or “to parade before others.” In Roman usage it carried the sense of publicly displaying someone to their shame, leading them in disgrace before a crowd. It entered English in the 16th century carrying that same sense of deliberate, public humiliation through false representation.