# ragamuffin
## English
### Alternative forms

* raggamuffin

### Etymology

From the Middle English Ragamuffyn. Of uncertain origin, according to Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable: A muffin is a poor thing of a creature, a ‘regular muff’; so that a ragamuffin is a sorry creature in rags.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈɹæɡəˌmʌfɪn/
* Audio (US):(file)
* Audio (General Australian):(file)

### Noun

ragamuffin (plural ragamuffins)
* A dirty, shabbily-clothed child; an urchin.
** c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene iii], page 71:I haue led my rag of Muffins where they are pepper'd: there's not three of my 150 left aliue; and they for the Townes end, to beg during life.
** 1869, Louisa M[ay] Alcott, “Harvest Time”, in Little Women: […], part second, Boston, Mass.: Roberts Brothers, →OCLC, page 348:“But may I inquire how you intend to support the establishment? If all the pupils are little ragamuffins, I’m afraid your crop won’t be profitable in a worldly sense, Mrs. Bhaer.”
** [1877], Anna Sewell, “The Election”, in Black Beauty: […], London: Jarrold and Sons, […], →OCLC, part III, page 206:"They called her a little blue raggamuffin, father," said Harry, who ran in, looking very angry; "but I have given it to them, they won't insult my sister again. […]"
** 1882, Mark Twain, chapter 12, in The Prince and the Pauper:'Yes, he is mine—I took him, a homeless little ragamuffin, but I saw what was in him, and I said his name would be heard some day—behold him, observe him—was I right?'
** 1905 April–October, Upton Sinclair, chapter XVIII, in The Jungle, New York, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1906 February 26, →OCLC:After walking a ways, Jurgis met a little ragamuffin whom he hailed: "Hey, sonny!"
** 1916, John Buchan, chapter 15, in Greenmantle:He had found out the house of Frau von Einem without much trouble, and had performed with his ragamuffins in the servants' quarters.
** 1984, Douglas Adams, chapter 21, in So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), page 112:A boy of the cheery gypsy ragamuffin variety.
** 2013 December 19, Peter Kimpton, “Readers recommend: songs about smuggling and stealing – results”, in The Guardian‎, →ISSN:It features other small ones—a bunch of Dickensian ragamuffins and their leader played by Ron Moody in Oliver!—You've Got to Pick a Pocket Or Two.
* (slang) A hooligan or troublemaker.
* Alternative letter-case form of Ragamuffin (“breed of domestic cat”)

#### Usage notes

Currently this word is slang, often (but not always) used either for anachronistic effect or as dialogue in historical fiction.

#### Derived terms

* ragamuffinly

#### Related terms

* in rags

#### Translations
### Further reading

* Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “ragamuffin”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
* “ragamuffin n.”, in Green’s Dictionary of Slang, Jonathon Green, 2016–present

## Italian
### Alternative forms

* raggamuffin

### Etymology

Borrowed from English ragamuffin.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ra.ɡaˈmaf.fin/
* Rhymes: -affin
* Hyphenation: ra‧ga‧mùf‧fin

### Noun

ragamuffin m (uncountable)
* (music) ragga
    Synonyms: raga, ragga

### Further reading

* ragamuffin in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana
* ragamuffin in Dizionario Italiano Olivetti, Olivetti Media Communication