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Shabby vs Tatter - What's the difference?

shabby | tatter |

As an adjective shabby

is torn or worn; poor; mean; ragged.

As a noun tatter is

a shred of torn cloth; an individual item of torn and ragged clothing.

As a verb tatter is

to destroy an article of clothing by shredding.

shabby

English

Adjective

(er)
  • Torn or worn; poor; mean; ragged.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1905, author=
    • , title= , chapter=2 citation , passage=Miss Phyllis Morgan, as the hapless heroine dressed in the shabbiest of clothes, appears in the midst of a gay and giddy throng; she apostrophises all and sundry there, including the villain, and has a magnificent scene which always brings down the house, and nightly adds to her histrionic laurels.}}
    They lived in a tiny apartment, with some old, shabby furniture.
  • Clothed with ragged, much worn, or soiled garments.
    • The fellow arrived looking rather shabby after journeying so far.
  • Mean; paltry; despicable.
    • shabby treatment

    Derived terms

    * shabby-genteel (Webster 1913)

    tatter

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A shred of torn cloth; an individual item of torn and ragged clothing.
  • A person engaged in tatting.

    • Verb

  • To destroy an article of clothing by shredding.