Tatter

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈtætə(ɹ)/

Definitions

1. A small piece of cloth that is torn or ragged ; to tear or shred into irregular fragments or strips
2. A shred or fragment of fabric that is worn or ripped ; to rip or pull apart roughly, causing ragged edges
3. A ragged fragment of textile material ; to cause tearing resulting in a frayed or uneven appearance

Etymology: The most striking thing about "tatter" is that its ancestor came from Norse, not Latin or French. Middle English "tater" was borrowed from Old Norse "tǫturr", meaning a tuft or patch, and that Norse word reaches back to a Proto-Germanic form meaning much the same. The Icelandic "tötur", still meaning rag or tatter, is a close relative, so the word has deep Scandinavian roots in English. The English word has a second, less certain story. One proposed origin links it to "tat", a word of unknown origin, with the suffix "-er", which marks repeated or frequent action. On that account, "tatter" would describe something torn again and again into bits. The same suffix appears in "tattle", which is a useful comparison, though the exact relationship is uncertain.

Synonyms: rag, shred, fragment

Antonyms: whole, complete