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  • crag
    crag
    noun
    a steep, rugged rock; rough, broken, projecting part of a rock.
  • Crag
    Crag
    noun
    a formation of shelly sandstone in E England, deposited during the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs
Synonyms

crag

1 American  
[krag] / kræg /

noun

  1. a steep, rugged rock; rough, broken, projecting part of a rock.


crag 2 American  
[krag] / kræg /

noun

Scot. and North England.
  1. the neck, throat, or craw.


Crag 1 British  
/ kræɡ /

noun

  1. a formation of shelly sandstone in E England, deposited during the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

crag 2 British  
/ kræɡ /

noun

  1. a steep rugged rock or peak

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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."

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Vocabulary lists containing crag

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:

The mountain rescue team said the man was stretchered to the top of the crag and collected by the air ambulance.

From BBC ● Mar. 10, 2024

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

What happens when an acute episode of mental illness takes place atop a crag or on a remote expedition?

From New York Times ● Jul. 11, 2021

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

The ocean nymphs who visited Prometheus on the crag in the Caucasus spoke only the most ordinary common sense when they said to him:—

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

Coniston Mountain Rescue Team said they were called to Dow Crag, near Coniston, at about 16:20 GMT on Saturday to reports of a climber suffering a head injury.

From BBC ● Jul. 12, 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

“You are right—the ocean is higher,” said Crag.

From "The Wild Robot" by Peter Brown

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