rag

¹

[rag]

noun

1. a worthless piece of cloth, especially one that is torn or worn.

2. rags, ragged or tattered clothing.

   The tramp was dressed in rags.

3. any article of apparel regarded deprecatingly or self-deprecatingly, especially a dress.

   It's just an old rag I had in the closet.

4. a shred, scrap, or fragmentary bit of anything.

5. Informal.

   1. something of very low value or in very poor condition.

   2. a newspaper or magazine regarded with contempt or distaste.

      Are you still subscribing to that rag?

6. a person of shabby or exhausted appearance.

7. a large roofing slate that has one edge untrimmed.

rag

²

[rag]

verb (used without object)

ragged, ragging 

1. to subject a person to teasing or scolding, especially in an intense or prolonged way (usually followed byon ).

   Some of the boys were ragging on him about his haircut.

2. to criticize a person or thing (usually followed byon ): I wish reviewers would stop ragging on the movie.

   He rags and whines to me instead of fixing the problem.

   I wish reviewers would stop ragging on the movie.

verb (used with object)

ragged, ragging 

1. to subject to teasing or scolding, especially in an intense or prolonged way.

   He was ragged at school for not joining a sports team.

2. to criticize.

3. British.,  to torment with jokes; play crude practical jokes on.

noun

1. British.,  an act of ragging; a cruel or crude practical joke.

rag

³

[rag]

verb (used with object)

ragged, ragging 

1. to break up (lumps of ore) for sorting.

rag

⁴

[rag]

noun

1. a musical composition in ragtime.

   a piano rag.

verb (used with object)

ragged, ragging 

1. to play (music) in ragtime.

rag

¹

/ ræɡ /

noun

1. 1. a small piece of cloth, such as one torn from a discarded garment, or such pieces of cloth collectively

   2. ( as modifier )

      a rag doll

      a rag book

      rag paper

2. a fragmentary piece of any material; scrap; shred

3. informal,  a newspaper or other journal, esp one considered as worthless, sensational, etc

4. informal,  an item of clothing

5. informal,  a handkerchief

6. slang,  nautical a flag or ensign

7. to lose one's temper suddenly

rag

²

/ ræɡ /

verb

1. to draw attention facetiously and persistently to the shortcomings or alleged shortcomings of (a person)

2. to play rough practical jokes on

noun

1. a boisterous practical joke, esp one on a fellow student

2. 1. a period, usually a week, in which various events are organized to raise money for charity, including a procession of decorated floats and tableaux

   2. ( as modifier )

      rag day

rag

³

/ ræɡ /

noun

1. a piece of ragtime music

verb

1. (tr) to compose or perform in ragtime

rag

⁴

/ ræɡ /

noun

1. a roofing slate that is rough on one side

Word History and Origins

Origin of rag¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English ragge, from Scandinavian; compare Norwegian, Swedish ragg “coarse hair,” from Old Norse rǫgg

Origin of rag²

First recorded in 1735–40; origin uncertain

Origin of rag³

First recorded in 1870–75; origin uncertain

Origin of rag⁴

First recorded in 1895–1900; shortened form of ragtime

Word History and Origins

Origin of rag¹

C14: probably back formation from _ragged , from Old English raggig ; related to Old Norse rögg tuft

Origin of rag²

C18: of uncertain origin

Origin of rag³

C20: shortened from _ragtime

Origin of rag⁴

C13: of obscure origin

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. chew the rag. chew.

2. from rags to riches, from extreme poverty to great wealth.

   He went from rags to riches in only three years.

More idioms and phrases containing rag

• chew the fat (rag)
• from rags to riches
• glad rags
• run ragged

Example Sentences

"It was actually quite a pragmatic performance, and they were not run ragged. They were maybe too defensive at times, but they were nice and compact, worked hard and were in the game at half-time."

Read more on BBC

But it was Yang in prosthetics as Dobby the House Elf from “Harry Potter” who won the night despite a hilarious wardrobe malfunction — his rag outfit kept coming off at the shoulder.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Swift opens her track with: “When I found you, you were young, wayward, lost in the cold / Pulled up to you in the Jag’, turned your rags to gold.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Against this enclave’s polished stone walls and bannisters, Lee looks every ragged inch of the tawdry menace the politicians and businessmen he squares off against expect him to be.

Read more on Salon

To the north, a sickly orange haze hung along the horizon, a reminder of the inferno that had reduced parts of their school to a ragged tangle of charred masonry, metal and wood.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• needle