tatters
/ˈtatəz
/plural noun
Irregularly torn pieces of cloth, paper, or other material: he was forced to wear rags and tatters a beggar would scorn...
- There were photographs stuck to the stone wall, packages with letters, coins, tatters of cloth.
- How many pairs of boots did Carlyon tear to tatters in his researches?
- I twirled the leaf around in my fingers: dry, yellow and brown and brittle, tatters of desiccated material around a skeleton of veins.
Synonyms
rags, scraps, shreds, bits, pieces, bits and pieces, torn pieces, ragged pieces, ribbons, clippings, fragments
Phrases
in tatters
Derivatives
tattery
- I found myself thinking about that thing long after I read the piece, tattery black plastic and metal bits.
- Did think about comandeering the cruise boat but it was rather cold and I didn't think I would be too successful in a tattery silk dress and stilettos!
- I can fill holes no bother, its the mess the walls are in after scraping. layers of cardboard stuff is coming off with the paper leaving tattery bits all over the shot.
Origin
Late Middle English (also in the singular meaning 'scrap of cloth'): from Old Norse tǫtrar 'rags'.
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