crag
noun
a steep, rugged rock; rough, broken, projecting part of a rock.
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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.
Today, Index is arguably Washington’s most popular crag, or climbing area.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 14, 2023
Chris and Vicky Binks, who are running the session, are kept busy with constructing anchors at the top of the crag to fix top ropes, setting up equipment and helping climbers pick their routes.
From BBC • Apr. 30, 2023
Nestled in a sandstone crag along a winding river in the English countryside, a near-complete Anglo-Saxon cave house has been waiting to tell centuries-old stories.
From Washington Post • Jul. 17, 2021
No one’s going to be standing at the crag telling you to go home.
From Slate • Mar. 20, 2020
I saw a lizard run over the crag; I saw a bee busy among the sweet bilberries.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
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.
