Link Centre Dictionary

rag

UK/ɹæɡ/ US/ɹaɡ/ fairly common informal slang uk us
noun (5) verb (6)

noun

1.
2.

a week at British universities during which side-shows and processions of floats are organized to raise money for charities

Synonyms
3.

music with a syncopated melody (usually for the piano)

Synonyms
4.

newspaper with half-size pages

Synonyms
5.

verb

1.

treat cruelly

  • “The children tormented the stuttering teacher”
Synonyms
2.

cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations

  • “Mosquitoes buzzing in my ear really bothers me”
  • “It irritates me that she never closes the door after she leaves”
Synonyms
3.

play in ragtime

  • “rag that old tune”
4.

harass with persistent criticism or carping

  • “The children teased the new teacher”
  • “Don”
  • “;”
Synonyms
5.
6.

break into lumps before sorting

  • “rag ore”

Origin

From Middle English ragge, from Old English ragg (suggested by derivative raggiġ (“shaggy; bristly; ragged”)), from Old Norse rǫgg (“tuft; shagginess”), from Proto-Germanic *rawwa-, probably related to *rūhaz. Cognate with Swedish ragg. Related to rug.

Phrases

  • bean rag
  • boiled rag
  • chew the rag
  • fag rag
  • glad rags
  • head rag
  • in rag order
  • in rags
  • rag day
  • rag off
  • rag on
  • rag out

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

Part of

Related verbs

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.