rag-picker

A rag-picker sorts through a pile of old cloth in the marketplace.

Definition

Noun: - A person who collects rags and other waste materials from the streets or refuse: "rag-picker" refers to an individual, often impoverished, who gathers discarded cloth, paper, or other items of little value for resale or recycling.

Usage Examples

• (A person collecting discarded cloth from rubbish.)
• (Historical reference to waste collectors in poor areas.)

Advanced Usage

• "to work as a rag-picker": to engage in the occupation of collecting rags and waste.

  • He had no other choice but to work as a rag-picker to survive. (He took up this lowly job due to desperation.)

• "the life of a rag-picker": the difficult, marginalised existence of such a person.

  • The novel vividly describes the harsh life of a rag-picker in Victorian London. (Depicts the struggles of a waste collector.)

Variants and Related Words

• Rag-picking (n): the activity or occupation of collecting rags and waste.

  • Rag-picking was once a common form of informal employment. (The act of gathering discarded materials.)

• Rag (n): a piece of old, torn, or worn cloth.

  • She used a rag to clean the floor. (A scrap of cloth for cleaning.)

Synonyms

• Waste collector: a person who gathers discarded items.
• Scavenger: someone who searches for useful items among refuse (often used broadly).

Related Idioms

• "From rags to riches": a phrase describing a rise from poverty to wealth, though not directly related to "rag-picker", it uses "rags" as a symbol of poverty.
  • His story is a classic from rags to riches; he started as a rag-picker and became a millionaire. (A dramatic improvement in fortune.)