ragpicker

[ rag-pik-er ]

noun

1. a person who picks up rags rag and other waste material from the streets, refuse heaps, etc., for a livelihood.

Word History and Origins

Origin of ragpicker¹

First recorded in 1855–60; rag ¹ + picker

Example Sentences

Rahman Ali, 42, a ragpicker in an eastern suburb of the Indian capital New Delhi earns less than $3 a day by collecting waste from people’s homes and sorting it to salvage whatever can be sold.

From Seattle Times

Her grandmother was a ragpicker, sifting through refuse for reusable material.

From Washington Post

Sitting by the side of the road in Kolkata next to bags of plastic waste he had collected but could no longer sell, Ram Singh, a ragpicker, said he had not eaten for days and was existing on water.

From The Guardian

“I left home when I was 13 after my mother ran away with a man and I have worked as a ragpicker for over 40 years,” said Singh, who is now walking 30km a day to try to sell his wares.

From The Guardian

It would be an unheard-of luxury for the ragpicker or street vendor who lives day to day.

From New York Times