ragpicker
Definition
- Noun:
- An unskilled person who collects rags and other discarded items from trash cans and public dumps to earn a living. A ragpicker is someone who scavenges for reusable or recyclable materials, particularly old cloth, from waste sources.
Usage
- The word "ragpicker" is a specific term for a historical or informal occupation. It describes a person whose livelihood depends on collecting discarded materials.
- It is typically used in a literal sense to describe this type of scavenger. The tone can be neutral, descriptive, or carry connotations of poverty and informal labor.
Examples
- Noun:
- In the 19th century, the ragpicker was a common sight in the city's alleyways.
- The novel features a character who works as a ragpicker, sorting through the town dump.
Advanced Usage
- The term can be used metaphorically to describe someone who collects or deals in disparate, often undervalued, bits of information or things.
- The historian acted as an intellectual ragpicker, assembling a theory from fragments of forgotten texts.
Variants and Related Words
- Rag picking (n): The act or occupation of collecting rags.
- Rag picking was a desperate means of survival for many.
- Scavenger (n): A more general term for a person who searches for and collects discarded items.
- Junk collector (n): A person who collects scrap or junk materials.
Synonyms
- Scavenger
- Junk collector
- Waste picker (a more modern, neutral term)
- Bottle picker (specifically for collecting bottles)
Antonyms
- Supplier
- Retailer
- Manufacturer
Related Idioms or Phrases
- While there are no common idioms using "ragpicker," the concept is related to phrases about scavenging or making do with very little.
- To live off the scraps: To survive on what others have discarded or left behind.
Noun
-
an unskilled person who picks up rags from trash cans and public dumps as a means of livelihood
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