tatter means A shred of torn cloth; an individual item of torn and ragged clothing.
tatter is pronounced /ˈtætə(ɹ)/.
Etymology
From Middle English tater, from Old Norse tǫturr, from Proto-Germanic *tat(t)uraz (“tuft, patch”). Cognate with Icelandic tötur (“rag, tatter”).
noun
- A shred of torn cloth; an individual item of torn and ragged clothing.“You can’t – you shan’t – you don’t – you won’t – you thing of rag and tatter, O!”
- A person engaged in tatting.
verb
- To destroy an article of clothing etc. by shredding.
- To fall into tatters.