ragged, tattered garment, δὸς ῥ. ἀμφιβαλέσθαι Od. 6.178, cf. 13.434, 14.342, 349 (never in Il.); ἀνθʼ ἱματίου μὲν ἔχειν ῥ. Ar. Pl. 540; ῥ. φορεῖ Antiph. 204.6, PPetr. 3p.115 (iii B.C.), cf. Philem. 146: freq. in pl. ῥάκεα, Att. ῥάκη, rags, tatters, Od. 14.512, 18.67, 74, 19.507, al., Hdt. 3.129, S. Ph. 39, 274; ἐν ῥάκεσι περιφθείρεσθαι Isoc. Ep. 9.10.
generally, strip of cloth, ῥάκεα φοινίκεα Hdt. 7.76, cf. Ev.Matt. 9.16, Arr. Tact. 35.3: even a strip of flesh, σώματος ῥ. A. Pr. 1023.
collectively, rag, lint, Hp. Morb. 2.36; ῥάκη λινᾶ Dsc. 5.75.15.
in pl. also, rents in the face, wrinkles, Ar. Pl. 1065.
metaph., rag, remnant, εἰκάσαι τὸ ἐρείπιον ῥάκει οἰκίας Anon. ap. Arist. Rh. 1413a6; of an old seaman, ἁλίοιο βίου ῥ. AP 9.242 (Antiphil.), cf. 7.380 (Crin.), Luc. Tim. 32.—The Aeol. form βράκος (q.v.), used of a garment, lacks the sense ‘ragged’.