Definition of "ragtag" [ragtag]

• Shaggy or unkempt; ragged. (adjective)
• Diverse and disorderly in appearance or composition: "They're a small ragtag army of racketeers, bandits, and murderers” ( Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr.) (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "I always thought the word ragtag best applied to the Mahdi Army."
• "At the present time, I would say that the vast majority of rebel forces that have been deployed in what is commonly referred to as ‘Free Libya’ can be described as 'ragtag.'"
• "It started out as just a handful of protesters near Wall Street - the sort of demonstration folks describe as "ragtag"... "disorganized.""