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:
It perches high on a crag overlooking Damascus, designed as an ever-visible reminder for the city's citizens of the all-seeing power of the Assads.
From BBC ● Dec. 8, 2025
I wonder: Is it because favorite earrings are worn more often, thus putting them in harm’s way, fated to dangle dangerously from the earlobes like an alpinist clinging to a mountain crag?
From Washington Post ● Jun. 27, 2022
We sat in the shade of a crag near the top of the ridge.
From New York Times ● Apr. 20, 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
At last he came, hideous and huge, tall as a great mountain crag.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
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
A spokesman for the team said the man had walked over Eagle Crag and Sergeant's Crag above Langstrath and was making his way towards Ullscarf.
From BBC ● Dec. 24, 2021
“You are right—the ocean is higher,” said Crag.
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.
