rag dictionary definitions

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17 definitions found for rag

Websters 1828 Dictionary

Rag RAG, n. [Gr. a torn garment; tear; a rupture, a rock, a crag; to tear asunder.]
1. Any piece of cloth torn from the rest; a tattered cloth, torn or worn till its texture is destroyed. Linen and cotton rags are the chief materials of paper.
2. Garments worn out; proverbially, mean dress.
Drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags. Prov 23.
And virtue, though in rags, will keep me warm.
3. A fragment of dress.
RAG. v.t.
To scold; to rail. [Local.]

WordNet (r) 3.0

rag n 1: a small piece of cloth or paper [syn: rag, shred, tag, tag end, tatter] 2: a week at British universities during which side-shows and processions of floats are organized to raise money for charities [syn: rag, rag week] 3: music with a syncopated melody (usually for the piano) [syn: ragtime, rag] 4: newspaper with half-size pages [syn: tabloid, rag, sheet] 5: a boisterous practical joke (especially by college students) v 1: treat cruelly; "The children tormented the stuttering teacher" [syn: torment, rag, bedevil, crucify, dun, frustrate] 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" [syn: annoy, rag, get to, bother, get at, irritate, rile, nark, nettle, gravel, vex, chafe, devil] 3: play in ragtime; "rag that old tune" 4: harass with persistent criticism or carping; "The children teased the new teacher"; "Don't ride me so hard over my failure"; "His fellow workers razzed him when he wore a jacket and tie" [syn: tease, razz, rag, cod, tantalize, tantalise, bait, taunt, twit, rally, ride] 5: censure severely or angrily; "The mother scolded the child for entering a stranger's car"; "The deputy ragged the Prime Minister"; "The customer dressed down the waiter for bringing cold soup" [syn: call on the carpet, take to task, rebuke, rag, trounce, reproof, lecture, reprimand, jaw, dress down, call down, scold, chide, berate, bawl out, remonstrate, chew out, chew up, have words, lambaste, lambast] 6: break into lumps before sorting; "rag ore"

Anagrams

rag agr gar arg

English Language Idioms

rag ̈ɪræɡ See: CHEW THE FAT or CHEW THE RAG, GLAD RAGS.

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition (2003)

rag I. noun Etymology: Middle English ragge, from Old English *ragg, from Old Norse rǫgg tuft, shagginess Date: 14th century 1. a. a waste piece of cloth b. plural clothes usually in poor or ragged condition c. clothing <the rag trade> 2. something resembling a rag 3. newspaper; especially a sleazy newspaper II. noun Etymology: Middle English ragge Date: 14th century 1. any of various hard rocks 2. a large roofing slate that is rough on one side III. transitive verb (ragged; ragging) Etymology: origin unknown Date: 1739 1. to rail at ; scold 2. torment, tease IV. noun Date: 1864 chiefly British an outburst of boisterous fun; also prank V. noun Etymology: short for ragtime Date: 1897 a composition in ragtime

Oxford English Reference Dictionary

rag
1.
n.
1 a a torn, frayed, or worn piece of woven material. b one of the irregular scraps to which cloth etc. is reduced by wear and tear.
2 (in pl.) old or worn clothes.
3 (collect.) scraps of cloth used as material for paper, stuffing, etc.
4 derog. a a newspaper. b a flag, handkerchief, curtain, etc.
5 (usu. with neg.) the smallest scrap of cloth etc. (not a rag to cover him).
6 an odd scrap; an irregular piece.
7 a jagged projection, esp. on metal.
Phrases and idioms:
in rags
1 much torn.
2 in old torn clothes. rag-and-bone man Brit. an itinerant dealer in old clothes, furniture, etc.
rag-bag
1 a bag in which scraps of fabric etc. are kept for use.
2 a miscellaneous collection.
3 sl. a sloppily-dressed woman. rag bolt a bolt with barbs to keep it tight when it has been driven in. rag book a children's book made of untearable cloth. rag doll a stuffed doll made of cloth. rag paper paper made from rags. rag-picker a collector and seller of rags. rags to riches poverty to affluence. rag trade colloq. the business of designing, making, and selling women's clothes.
Etymology: ME, prob. back-form. f. RAGGED
2.
n. & v. sl.
--n. Brit.
1 a fund-raising programme of stunts, parades, and entertainment organized by students.
2 colloq. a prank.
3 a a rowdy celebration. b a noisy disorderly scene.
--v. (ragged, ragging)
1 tr. tease; torment; play rough jokes on.
2 tr. scold; reprove severely.
3 intr. Brit. engage in rough play; be noisy and riotous.
Etymology: 18th c.: orig. unkn.: cf. BALLYRAG
3.
n.
1 a large coarse roofing-slate.
2 any of various kinds of hard coarse sedimentary stone that break into thick slabs.
Etymology: ME: orig. unkn., but assoc. with RAG(1)
4.
n. Mus. a ragtime composition or tune.
Etymology: perh. f. RAGGED: see RAGTIME

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary

rag (rags) 1. A rag is a piece of old cloth which you can use to clean or wipe things. He was wiping his hands on an oily rag. N-VAR 2. Rags are old torn clothes. There were men, women and small children, some dressed in rags. N-PLURAL 3. People refer to a newspaper as a rag when they have a poor opinion of it. (INFORMAL) 'This man Tom works for a local rag,' he said. N-COUNT [disapproval] 4. see also ragged 5. You use rags to riches to describe the way in which someone quickly becomes very rich after they have been quite poor. His was a rags-to-riches story and people admire that. PHRASE 6. If you describe something as a red rag to a bull, you mean that it is certain to make a particular person or group very angry. (mainly BRIT) This sort of information is like a red rag to a bull for the tobacco companies. PHRASE: v-link PHR, like PHR

1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue

RAG Bank notes. Money in general. The cove has no rag; the fellow has no money.

1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue

RAG A farthing.