Duddy
/ˈdʌd.i/noun
Shabby, ragged, or untidy in appearance, especially in dialectal or archaic English.
Did you know?Duddy is closely connected with the old clothing word “dud,” whose original sense referred to a coarse cloak or shabby garment rather than a failed product.
Etymological Timeline
Middle English
English
dudde
“A garment, cloak, or piece of clothing; the exact origin is uncertain.”
16th Century
English
dud
“A shabby or worthless article of clothing.”
17th Century
English
duddy
“Clothed in rags; shabby or dirty-looking.”
18th–19th Century
English
duddy
“Untidy, ragged, or poorly dressed, especially in regional speech.”
Modern English
English
duddy
“Shabby, old-fashioned, or disheveled; now chiefly dialectal or archaic.”