ramshackle

adj
/ˈɹæmˌʃæk.əl/

Etymology

First attested in 1830, a back-formation from ramshackled, from ransackled, past participle of ransackle (“to ransack”), frequentative of Middle English ransaken (“to pillage”).

  1. derived from ransaken

Definitions

  1. In disrepair or disorder

    In disrepair or disorder; poorly maintained; lacking upkeep, usually of buildings or vehicles.

    • They stayed in a ramshackle cabin on the beach.
    • Steady old Curés come jolting past, now and then, in such ramshackle, rusty, musty, clattering coaches as no Englishman would believe in;[…]
    • There came […] my lord the cardinal, in his ramshackle coach.
  2. Badly or carelessly organized.

    • So ramshackle was the locals' attempt at defence that, with energetic wingers pouring into the space behind panicked full-backs and centre-halves dizzied by England's movement, it was cruel to behold at times.
  3. To ransack.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for ramshackle. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA