ragtag

UK: /ˈræɡˌtæɡ/ US: /ˈrægˌtæg/ ,(rag′tag′)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

rag•tag /ˈrægˌtæg/   adj. 

1. ragged;
   shabby:
   dressed in ragtag uniforms.
2. unorganized;
   disorderly:
   a ragtag army.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

rag•tag  (rag′tag′), adj. 

1. ragged or shabby;
   disheveled.
2. made up of mixed, often diverse, elements:
   a ragtag crowd.

• rag¹ + tag¹ 1880–85

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

ragtag / ˈræɡˌtæɡ/ noun

1. the ordinary people (esp in the phrase ragtag and bobtail)

Etymology: 19th Century