crag
noun
a steep, rugged rock; rough, broken, projecting part of a rock.
crag
1 American
[krag]
/ kræg /
noun
crag
2
American
[kr ag]
/ kræg /
noun
Scot. and North England.
Crag
1
British
/ kræɡ /
noun
crag
2
British
/ kræɡ /
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of crag1
1275–1325; Middle English < British Celtic; akin to Welsh craig rock
Origin of crag2
1425–75; late Middle English cragge < Middle Dutch crage neck, throat; cognate with German Kragen collar; cf. craw
Explanation
A crag is a rough, jagged section of rock. Some sections of the Maine coast are made up of rugged crags and rocky beaches. Steep rock faces and cliffs are covered with crags — if you're a rock climber, you might attempt to scale the crags of a jagged rocky mountain. Parts of northern England and Scotland are particularly famous for their crags, and in fact the root of the word crag is Celtic, related to the Old Irish crec, "rock," and the Welsh craig. "rock" or "stone."
Vocabulary lists containing crag
The Odyssey
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Tolkien Reading Day, List 9
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Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Another of the climbers out on the crag this day - Kieran - describes climbing as his "favourite", after progressing to outdoor climbing recently from indoor walls in Carlisle.
From BBC ● Apr. 30, 2023
We agreed that it was time for a halfway snack, retreated from the crag and settled in a clearing in the pines lower down.
From Washington Post ● Jun. 3, 2022
Spending a day at the crag, an outdoor climbing area, with experienced, trusted climbing friends is another great way to build skills.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 2, 2021
No one’s going to be standing at the crag telling you to go home.
From Slate ● Mar. 20, 2020
His legs were massive columns, his face a crag, with a granite-hard jaw and eyes black as chunks of obsidian beneath their painted lids.
From "The Golden Goblet" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
Joyce Hale, her husband, Jay, their 6-year-old granddaughter, Haley, and three friends were hiking to Hawksbill Crag in the Ozarks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 12, 2026
Steve Pierson said his brother’s plan was to begin, or end, his epic trip at Temple Crag, a familiar landmark to seasoned Sierra climbers and hikers that towers above the magnificent, glacier-fed Big Pine Lakes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2025
Search and rescue coordinators with the sheriff’s office, Portland Mountain Rescue, Hood River Crag Rats and more set up a command center at Timberline Lodge, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 4, 2022
Blues coach Crag Berube downplayed the notion that Tarasenko would be a distraction for the team moving forward this season.
From Fox News ● Sep. 24, 2021
The last one to crawl in was Crag, the old turtle.
From "The Wild Robot" by Peter Brown
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
