tatters
tatters Lexical Profile
tatters Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Irregularly torn pieces of cloth, paper, or other material; rags or shreds.
"After the storm, the old canvas awning hung in tatters from its frame."
A state of complete ruin, destruction, or disorganization (usually used in the phrase 'in tatters').
"Following the financial scandal, the company's once-spotless reputation was left in tatters."
• verb
To tear or wear into rags or shreds; to become ragged (third-person singular simple present of tatter).
"The fierce coastal wind quickly tatters any flag flown from the lighthouse."
Word Nuance & Usage
As a noun, 'tatters' is almost exclusively used in the plural form, particularly in the prepositional phrase 'in tatters' to describe either physically torn items or ruined abstract states.
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English 'tater', of North Germanic origin and related to Old Norse 'töturr' meaning 'rag' or 'tattered garment'.