rag-and-bone man

English

Noun

rag-and-bone man (plural rag-and-bone men)

  1. (Britain) A man who deals in scrap metal and recycled junk (originally including rags and bones, in earlier centuries).
    Synonyms: bone-grubber (obsolete), bone-picker (obsolete), ragman, ragpicker, scrappie, scrapper
    • 2009 November 24, David Fowler, NATIONAL SERVICE, ELVIS and ME!, Lulu.com, →ISBN, page 98:
      Horses and carts are never seen now and the rag and bone man is no more. In the fifties there were still those who made a living from old clothes, especially those made from natural fibres and suitable for felting.
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