rag

1 of 5

noun (1)

1
a
: a waste piece of cloth
b
rags plural : clothes usually in poor or ragged condition
c
: clothing
the rag trade
2
: something resembling a rag
3
: newspaper
especially : a sleazy newspaper

rag

2 of 5

noun (2)

1
: any of various hard rocks
2
: a large roofing slate that is rough on one side

rag

3 of 5

verb

ragged ˈragd How to pronounce rag (audio) ; ragging

transitive verb

1
: to rail at : scold
2

rag

4 of 5

noun (3)

chiefly British
: an outburst of boisterous fun
also : prank

rag

5 of 5

noun (4)

: a composition in ragtime
Phrases
rag on
: to make fun of

Examples of rag in a Sentence

Noun (1) the local rag publishes more gossip than news the girls showed up at the prom wearing their most elegant rags Verb several readers called in to rag the editor for his paper's repeated grammatical lapses Noun (3) a collegiate rag that nearly got him sent down from Oxford
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
Court documents say Donatelli approached the glass doors of the store holding a bottle of gasoline with a rag inside. Erin Couch, The Enquirer, 31 Oct. 2024 That means shaking dusters outside to release particles, and washing rags in the washing machine along with a disinfecting solution of bleach or vinegar. Elizabeth Brownfield, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2024
Verb
Dip a sponge, cloth, or rag into either solution and wipe down the fence to remove debris and stains. Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Oct. 2024 People who bite or pick their nails may have short, uneven nails, missing or ragged cuticles, and injured nail folds.10 Environmental Factors Some research shows your environment may influence nail growth. Sherri Gordon, Health, 18 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for rag 

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English ragge, from Old English *ragg, from Old Norse rǫgg tuft, shagginess

Noun (2)

Middle English ragge

Verb

origin unknown

Noun (4)

short for ragtime

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1739, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (3)

1825, in the meaning defined above

Noun (4)

1881, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rag was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near rag

Cite this Entry

“Rag.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rag. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

rag

1 of 3 noun
1
: a waste or worn piece of cloth
2
plural : shabby or very worn clothing
dressed in rags
3
: newspaper
especially : a low quality newspaper

rag

2 of 3 verb
ragged; ragging
1
: to rail at : scold
2

rag

3 of 3 noun
: a composition in ragtime
Etymology

Verb

origin unknown

More from Merriam-Webster on rag

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