draggled

Everyday

1. Wet, muddy and untidy, especially after being dragged through mud or rain. tree →
2. Hanging limp and dirty, like the bottom of a long skirt or a bird's wet feathers. tree →

In the lessons

An old-fashioned, picture-making word found in older children's books, as in «draggled and dirty». It shows a character who has been through rain, mud or a river and looks a mess. In Alice in Wonderland the creatures come out of the Pool of Tears «a queer-looking party» with draggled feathers and fur clinging close; the word fits that scene.

Examples

• The birds climbed out of the pool with draggled feathers. tree →
• After the storm, the cat came home wet and draggled. tree →
• Her long skirt was draggled with mud from the lane. tree →
• Toad looked a draggled sight after falling into the river. tree →
• The draggled flag hung from its pole in the rain. tree →
• We came back from the muddy walk tired and draggled. tree →
• When he revived, he was lying in the hot sun on the middle of a garden path, very draggled indeed, and a small boy was saying, “Here’s a dead mongoose. tree →

Note

Old-fashioned; today people say «bedraggled», which means the same and is far more common. The verb «draggle» means to make wet and dirty by dragging. Do not confuse with «dragged».