scrag
Americannoun
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a lean or scrawny person or animal.
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the lean end of a neck of veal or mutton.
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Slang. the neck of a human being.
verb (used with object)
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Slang. to wring the neck of; hang; garrote.
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Metallurgy. to test (spring steel) by bending.
noun
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a thin or scrawny person or animal
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the lean end of a neck of veal or mutton
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informal the neck of a human being
verb
Etymology
Origin of scrag
First recorded in 1535–45; obscurely akin to crag 2
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:
After all, eggs hatched at 40 plus, like mine, represent the scrag end of the market.
From The Guardian ● Oct. 18, 2014
The expressionist body is a scrag of mutton with big extremities, very unlike the prosperous Renaissance nudes that, however mutated, survived in Picasso and Matisse.
From Time Magazine Archive
Soak a neck of mutton in water for an hour, cut off the scrag, and put it into a stewpot, with two quarts of water.
From The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches, Adapted to the Use of Private Families by Mary Eaton
If to put over cold pies, make it of a small bare knuckle of veal, or of a scrag of mutton.
From The Cook and Housekeeper's Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches, Adapted to the Use of Private Families by Mary Eaton
Stew a scrag of mutton: put in a peck of peas, a bunch of turnips cut small, a few carrots, onions, lettuce, and some parsley.
From The Lady's Own Cookery Book, and New Dinner-Table Directory; In Which will Be Found a Large Collection of Original Receipts. 3rd ed. by Lady Charlotte Campbell Bury
Vincent Koch secured a turnover after Itoje was scragged at the base to end another promising attack.
From BBC ● Nov. 16, 2024
A chasing Maro Itoje scragged Hugo Keenan and pints were spilled in delight.
From BBC ● Mar. 12, 2022
Peter Nelson was almost to the tryline when he was scragged by Beauden Barrett.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 2, 2019
Petri takes it but he’s scragged and knocks on on halfway.
From The Guardian ● Oct. 11, 2015
"And there is Theodore, who was just going to have his hair cropped to be scragged at four this afternoon!" cried Jacques Collin.
From Scenes from a Courtesan's Life by Honoré de Balzac
The best ones have been breathtaking, beginning with the 5-3 scragging of Chelsea on New Year’s Day 2015, when a Spurs team with five Bale-money hang-overs in the squad ran the champions-in-waiting into the ground.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 27, 2019
But still De Gea came back for more, bristling like a lovable cartoon puppy, the hardest kid in chess club, seeming to grow in conviction with every scragging.
From The Guardian ● Apr. 19, 2013
The prop Davit Zirakashvili was in the sin bin then after scragging Richard Wigglesworth from a blatantly offside position.
From The Guardian ● Oct. 9, 2010
For this she was put to scragging, second-picking the bushes that had a few inferior puffs left on the twigs by swifter hands than hers.
From "Jazz" by Toni Morrison
And then to rampage they begin; Sweet William is scragging a rose; Sweet-pea in a neighborly way, Is pulling young marigold's nose!
From Donahoe's Magazine, Vol. XV, No. 4, April, 1886 Volume 15 (January 1886 - July 1886) by Various
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