riff·raff (r f r f )n. 1. People regarded as disreputable or worthless. 2. Rubbish; trash. [Middle English riffe raffe, from rif and raf, one and all, from Anglo-Norman rif et raf, rifle et rafle : Old French rifler, to rifle; see rifle2 + Old French raffler, to carry off (from raffle, act of seizing; see raffle1).] |
riffraff [ˈrɪfˌræf]
n (sometimes functioning as plural)
1. worthless people, esp collectively; rabble
2. Dialect worthless rubbish
[C15 rif and raf, from Old French rif et raf; related to rifler to plunder, and rafle a sweeping up; see rifle2, raffle]
riffraff - Rif/riff, "spoil, strip," and raf, "carry off," combined as rif et raf in French, then went to English as riff and raff, "everything, every scrap," and then riffraff.
See also related terms for scrap.
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. | riffraff - disparaging terms for the common people common people, folk, folks - people in general (often used in the plural); "they're just country folk"; "folks around here drink moonshine"; "the common people determine the group character and preserve its customs from one generation to the next" |
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