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
Noun
Mix a solution of one part bleach to five parts water in a large bucket and use a bristled scrub brush, cloth, rag, or sponge to scrub each section of the fence, starting from the top and working your way to the bottom. Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Oct. 2024 Soko Diamond is based on a rag that contains Lumia, a permanganate and chlorine substitute activated by ozone. Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 25 Oct. 2024 Just add a dollop of mayo to a rag and scrub the affected surface until the mark is gone. Cameron Beall, Southern Living, 21 Oct. 2024 Related article No longer babies, some teens take to ‘soiling the nest’ The term comes from the aftereffect of inhaling metallic paints sprayed on a rag, which leaves a chrome or metallic residue on one’s face, Pizon said. Kristen Rogers, CNN, 27 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for rag 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rag.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 5 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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