rag en · NOUN · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /ɹæɡ/ without æ-raising before /ɡ/
- [ˈɹʷæɡ] without æ-raising before /ɡ/
- /ɾaɡ/ (Scotland, Wales)
- /ɹeɪ̯ɡ/ Upper Midwestern US, Northwestern US, Canada
- [ˈɹʷeɪ̯ɡ] Upper Midwestern US, Northwestern US, Canada
- /ɹæɡ/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ɹɛɡ/ (New-Zealand)
- /ɹaɡ/ (British, Southern, Standard)
- /ɹæːɡ/ (Australia)
- (US) audio
Etymology
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.
Meanings
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(especially, in-plural) Tattered clothes (clothing).
—What a pretty dress! —What, this old rag?
rags to riches
And virtue, though in rags, will keep me warm.
1684, John Dryden, Miscellany Poems: Containing a New Translation of Virgills Eclogues, Ovid's Love Elegies, Odes of Horace and Other Authors, The twenty-ninth ode of the first book of Horace:It's semiformal. I can't show up dressed in rags!
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A piece of old cloth, especially one used for cleaning, patching, etc.; a tattered piece of cloth; a shred or tatter.
[…]even by the law of their own might and malice, not having otherwise any rag of legality to cover the shame of their cruelty.
1655, Thomas Fuller, The Church-history of Britain from the Birth of Jesus Christ until the year MDCXLVIII, page 399:Cowls, hoods, and habits, with their wearers, toss'd, / And flutter'd into rags; then reliques, beads,
1667, John Milton, Paradise Lost, Book III, lines 490-491:
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(derogatory) A shabby, beggarly person; synonym of ragamuffin.
For upon the like Proclamation there, they all came in, both tag and rag
1596, Edmund Spenser, A Veue of the Present State of Irelande:The other zealous rag is the compositor, / Who in an angle where the ants inhabit, / (The emblems of his labors) will sit curl'd
1623, Ben Jonson, Time Vindicated to Himself and to His Honours:Nor will it be achieved by marching in the streets in leather, drag, chains, fish net over-flying-tits or any other get up. It will not be accomplished by hung-over bar rags, hustlers, shallow queens, or angry dykes.
1986 February 8, “It’s Not The Sex, It’s The Morality”, in Gay Community News, volume 13, number 29, Boston, page 5:
- A ragged edge in metalworking.
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(slang) A sail, or any piece of canvas.
"'Oh yes, that's all very well, but we haven't done with it yet,' said the lad, 'we shall have it worse directly,' and he ordered them to furl every rag but the mizen."
1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 191:Our ship was a clipper, with every rag set, stunsails, sky-scrapers, and all.
1864, James Russell Lowell, My Garden Acquaintance; A Good Word for Winter; A Moosehead Journal, page 83:
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(plural, singular, slang) Sanitary napkins, pads, or other materials used to absorb menstrual discharge.
"It's heaviest on the first day, which might be why it hurts so much. After that, it slows down and eventually stops, but you'll need the rags for about a week."
2020, Pip Williams, The Dictionary of Lost Words, page 56:
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(derogatory, slang) A newspaper or magazine, especially one whose journalism is considered to be of poor quality.
"You must behave yourself, dear. Mr. Malone is a Pressman. He will have it all in his rag to-morrow, and sell an extra dozen among our neighbors."
1912, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Lost World […], London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC:
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A poor, low-ranking kicker.
I have ace-four on my hand. In other words, I have ace-rag.
- (slang) A curtain of various kinds.
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(dated) A person suffering from exhaustion or lack of energy.
"It took it out of me, though. I'm a rag this morning." "They work you too hard, dear."
1925 July – 1926 May, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “(please specify the chapter number)”, in The Land of Mist (eBook no. 0601351h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg Australia, published April 2019:
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(obsolete, slang) A banknote.
What was he at, do you think? Counting bank-notes; he had bundles of them. […] Well, Guv'nor, he stood up by-and-by, and taking the bundles of rags, the big uns in one hand, tother ones in tother, he toddled out of the room; […] So I tucked my violin under my arm, and sallied out after the old budgy ragman, determined to ease him of his load at the very first lonesome corner I could track him to.
1876, The Shamrock, volume 14:
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An uneven vertical margin (of a block of type).
We always leave rag on article typeset for the web.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| rags | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Coordinates
Deriveds
rag-roll · ragseller · cuntrag · ragazine · washrag · rag paper · toe rag · ragleaf · jizzrag · ragleaf · dustrag · rag doll · rag-rolling · ragbag · main rag · fag rag · toerag · stone-rag · rags-to-riches · ragman · raggle · ragless · oily rag · raggy · ragworm · cumrag · red-ragger · head rag · raghouse · in rag order · tag and rag · ragsorting · stab-rag · ragpicker · in rags · ragged · on the rag · rag pudding · ragfish · rag book · rag-and-bone shop · snotrag · ragtop · ragsorter · rag-and-bone man · rag race · glad rags · wet rag · lose one's rag · ragger · ragpick · rag bagger · shakerag · rag trade · do-rag · ragweed · ragwort · rags to riches · raglike · ragtag · rag rug · red rag · dishrag · rag-chewing · ragbond · shaving rag · raghead · jam rag · shitrag · rags and tatters · red rag to a bull · rag-box · raghorn · raggie · Jew rag · tag-rag · shag-rag · toe-rag · smell of an oily rag · rag-shop · rag and bone man · bean rag · chew the rag · snot rag · boiled rag
Descendants
Synonyms
Translations (230)
pl szmata (piece of cloth) · ro petic (piece of cloth) · el κουρέλια (mean or tattered attire) · it straccione (shabby, beggarly fellow) · nl vod (piece of cloth) · es argamandel (piece of cloth) · wa strifion (piece of cloth) · nn fille (piece of cloth) · es pingo (despective) (mean or tattered attire) · ga páipéar suarach ((slang, pejorative) a newspaper) · ko 천 (piece of cloth) · ga ceamacha (mean or tattered attire) · fi ryysyläinen (shabby, beggarly fellow) · bg дри́па (mean or tattered attire) · es gamuza (piece of cloth) · ka ჩვარი (piece of cloth) · ru лохмо́тья (mean or tattered attire) · sv trasa (piece of cloth) · mi kanu (piece of cloth) · nl zeildoek (sail, or any piece of canvas) · cmn 破布 (mean or tattered attire) · ceb trapo (piece of cloth) · pt farrapo (piece of cloth) · yi שמאַטע (piece of cloth) · pl łachman (mean or tattered attire) · mi kanukanu (piece of cloth) · fr guenille (mean or tattered attire) · gl ciringallo (piece of cloth) · cy cadach (piece of cloth) · es papelucho ((slang, pejorative) a newspaper) · cmn 布 (piece of cloth) · ro vechitură (mean or tattered attire) · hi चिथड़ा (piece of cloth) · sv lapp (piece of cloth) · es trapo (mean or tattered attire) · sl cunja (piece of cloth) · pl obszarpaniec (shabby, beggarly fellow) · es harapo (piece of cloth) · pt farrapo (mean or tattered attire) · lt skiautė (piece of cloth) · wa loke (piece of cloth) · mi ngetangeta (mean or tattered attire) · fa-ira ژِنْدِه (mean or tattered attire) · fr canard ((slang, pejorative) a newspaper) · sh prnje (mean or tattered attire) · ru ве́тошь (mean or tattered attire) · ar خِرْقَة (piece of cloth) · es rigil (piece of cloth) · ru лоску́т (piece of cloth) · pl obdartus (shabby, beggarly fellow) · tg латта (piece of cloth) · bg платно́ (sail, or any piece of canvas) · tab берк (piece of cloth) · es andrajo (piece of cloth) · fr torchon ((slang, pejorative) a newspaper) · rup peaticã (piece of cloth) · fr loque (shabby, beggarly fellow) · ga ceamach (piece of cloth) · nrf chitchette (piece of cloth) · es pingo (piece of cloth) · kjh ӌурух (piece of cloth) · sq leckë (piece of cloth) · cs hadr (piece of cloth) · be ану́ча (piece of cloth) · tab гъюаь́ргъв (piece of cloth) · fr haillon (mean or tattered attire) · es andrajo (mean or tattered attire) · tr paçavra (piece of cloth) · de Lumpen (mean or tattered attire) · cs hadry (mean or tattered attire) · es jirón (piece of cloth) · inh герми (piece of cloth) · da klud (piece of cloth) · hy շոր (piece of cloth) · nl klodde (piece of cloth) · ky чүпүрөк (piece of cloth) · eo ĉifono (piece of cloth) · tl trapo (piece of cloth) · mi hautai (piece of cloth) · mi karukaru (mean or tattered attire) · fi rätti (piece of cloth) · es cangalla (piece of cloth) · fi rääsyt (mean or tattered attire) · lez кьваркь (piece of cloth) · rup cãrpã (piece of cloth) · uk ганчі́рка (piece of cloth) · wa lagnet (piece of cloth) · ny nsanza (piece of cloth) · nl zeil (sail, or any piece of canvas) · gd luideag (piece of cloth) · ro cârpă (piece of cloth) · et räbal (piece of cloth) · fi rääsyläinen (shabby, beggarly fellow) · vec strassa (piece of cloth) · de Lappen (piece of cloth) · nb klut (piece of cloth) · pt pasquim ((slang, pejorative) a newspaper) · eo ĉifonulo (shabby, beggarly fellow) · ru полотно́ (sail, or any piece of canvas) · ru оборва́нка (shabby, beggarly fellow) · tk esgi (piece of cloth) · cmn 抹布 (piece of cloth) · gsw Hudel (mean or tattered attire) · fa-ira ژِنْدِهپوش (shabby, beggarly fellow) · ru тряпьё (mean or tattered attire) · es chanchiro (mean or tattered attire) · ccc chalachi (piece of cloth) · hy ցնցոտի (mean or tattered attire) · mk крпа (piece of cloth) · nrf chique (piece of cloth) · es chiringo (piece of cloth) · hi लत्ता (piece of cloth) · nl sufferd ((slang, pejorative) a newspaper) · lv lupata (piece of cloth) · mi petapeta (mean or tattered attire) · hy ջնջոց (piece of cloth) · alt чибирек (piece of cloth) · es harapo (mean or tattered attire) · pl szmata (mean or tattered attire) · ar خِرْقَة (piece of cloth) · vi giẻ (piece of cloth) · acm وُصْلَة (piece of cloth) · th ผ้าขี้ริ้ว (piece of cloth) · ja 布 (piece of cloth) · pl ścierka (piece of cloth) · fr chiffon (piece of cloth) · pt trapo (mean or tattered attire) · gl trapo (piece of cloth) · ru газетёнка ((slang, pejorative) a newspaper) · it cencio (piece of cloth) · ba сепрәк (piece of cloth) · ddo чӏорто (piece of cloth) · gl farrapo (piece of cloth) · fr fripe (piece of cloth) · ota پاچاوره (piece of cloth) · huz тира́пка (piece of cloth) · is tuska (piece of cloth) · es bayeta (piece of cloth) · fi ryysyt (mean or tattered attire) · es pasquín ((slang, pejorative) a newspaper) · la pannus (piece of cloth) · ur چِتْھڑا (piece of cloth) · ja 襤褸 (mean or tattered attire) · az əski (piece of cloth) · es periodicucho ((slang, pejorative) a newspaper) · it straccio (piece of cloth) · bg парца́л ((slang, pejorative) a newspaper) · hy լաթ (piece of cloth) · el κουρελής (shabby, beggarly fellow) · la pannus (mean or tattered attire) · izh rätti (piece of cloth) · bg парца́л (piece of cloth) · ga ceirt (piece of cloth) · mn өөдөс (piece of cloth) · el ράκος (shabby, beggarly fellow) · nb fille (piece of cloth) · es trapo (piece of cloth) · el κουρέλι (piece of cloth) · th ผ้า (piece of cloth) · eo ĉifonaĵo (mean or tattered attire) · hy քուրջ (piece of cloth) · sk handra (piece of cloth) · pt trapo (piece of cloth) · ny nsanza (mean or tattered attire) · ru тря́пка (piece of cloth) · de Käseblatt ((slang, pejorative) a newspaper) · ro cârpitură (mean or tattered attire) · he סְמַרְטוּט (piece of cloth) · ota خرقه (piece of cloth) · nl lap (piece of cloth) · gl milfo (piece of cloth) · cs otrhanec (shabby, beggarly fellow) · mi petapeta (piece of cloth) · ro fițuică ((slang, pejorative) a newspaper) · eo gazetaĉo ((slang, pejorative) a newspaper) · es guiñapo (piece of cloth) · nl lor (piece of cloth) · pl łach (mean or tattered attire) · el κωλοφυλλάδα ((slang, pejorative) a newspaper) · gl farrapo (mean or tattered attire) · gl ciringallo (mean or tattered attire) · es chirapa (piece of cloth) · ce горгам (piece of cloth) · eo vestaĉo (mean or tattered attire) · de Fetzen (mean or tattered attire) · yo àkísà (mean or tattered attire) · fr oripeau (mean or tattered attire) · id lap (piece of cloth) · fa-ira رِگو (piece of cloth) · gl fargallo (mean or tattered attire) · es diarrucho ((slang, pejorative) a newspaper) · pl szmatławiec ((slang, pejorative) a newspaper) · ca parrac (mean or tattered attire) · ms lap (piece of cloth) · cy clwt (piece of cloth) · ko 넝마 (mean or tattered attire) · es arrapiezo (piece of cloth) · fr loque (mean or tattered attire) · ug لاتا (piece of cloth) · mi ruha (piece of cloth) · ru ве́тошь (piece of cloth) · ru оборва́нец (shabby, beggarly fellow) · ddo тира́пка (piece of cloth) · gl fargallo (piece of cloth) · mi hautai (mean or tattered attire) · fi räsy (piece of cloth) · kk шүберек (piece of cloth) · sh kȑpa (piece of cloth) · fi rätti (sail, or any piece of canvas) · grc ῥάκος (piece of cloth) · ur لَتّا (piece of cloth) · pdt Kodda (piece of cloth) · nl lompen (mean or tattered attire) · es papelote ((slang, pejorative) a newspaper) · ga giobal (mean or tattered attire) · nl rioolkrant ((slang, pejorative) a newspaper) · mi tawhetawhe (mean or tattered attire) · ca drap (piece of cloth) · ro zdreanță (mean or tattered attire) · sh кр̏па (piece of cloth) · pms strass (piece of cloth) · uz latta (piece of cloth) · az cındır (piece of cloth) · tab чапп (piece of cloth) · ur لَتَّہ (piece of cloth) · fa-ira لَتِّه (piece of cloth) · hu rongy (piece of cloth) · sh прње (mean or tattered attire) · es chirajo (mean or tattered attire) · fa-ira رُگو (piece of cloth)