Etymology tree
Old English sċeacga
Middle English *schagge
English shag
From Middle English *schagge, from Old English sċeacga (“hair, wool”), from Proto-Germanic *skaggô, *skaggiją (“projection, bristly hair, stem”), *skag- (“to emerge, stick out, protrude”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kek- (“to jump, move, hurry”).
Akin to Old Norse skegg (“beard”) (compare Danish skæg, Norwegian skjegg, Swedish skägg). Related to shake and shock via the root.
Meanings
(obsolete) Hairy; shaggy.
Son. Thou liest, thou shag-hair'd villain! c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]:
Etymology tree
Old English sċeacga
Middle English *schagge
English shag
From Middle English *schagge, from Old English sċeacga (“hair, wool”), from Proto-Germanic *skaggô, *skaggiją (“projection, bristly hair, stem”), *skag- (“to emerge, stick out, protrude”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kek- (“to jump, move, hurry”).
Akin to Old Norse skegg (“beard”) (compare Danish skæg, Norwegian skjegg, Swedish skägg). Related to shake and shock via the root.
Meanings
(countable, uncountable) Matted material; rough massed hair, fibres etc.
Nor ſhould it prove thy leſs important Care, / To chuſe a proper Coat for Winter's Wear. / [...] / True Witney Broad-cloath with it's Shag unſhorn, / Unpierc'd is in the laſting Tempeſt worn: [...] [1716], [John] Gay, “Book I. Of the Implements for Walking the Streets, and Signs of the Weather”, in Trivia: Or, The Art of Walking the Streets of London, London: […] Bernard Lintott, […], →OCLC, page 4:
(countable, uncountable) Coarse shredded tobacco.
He was rather unshaven as well and smelt strongly of shag. 1978, Lawrence Durrell, Livia (Avignon Quintet; 2), Faber & Faber, published 1992, page 535:
The Captain folded his brow into a look of intense perplexity. 'You seem exceedingly spry for a man who demolished an entire bottle of brandy and better part of an ounce of shag in a single evening.'
'And very nice too,' said the tramp. 'Now as to breakfast?' 1992, Robert Rankin, The Antipope, page 68:
(countable, uncountable) A type of rough carpet pile.
(Ireland, UK, archaic, countable, uncountable) Bacon or fat, especially if with some remaining hair or bristles.
(Ireland, UK, archaic, countable, uncountable) A roughly-cut or torn-off piece of bread or cheese.
romancing Shelley between / sips of thermos tea and / yeasty shags of bread, sour-sweet, / from Lizzie Coutinho’s bakery. 2001, Ranjani Neriya, “Husk”, in Beloit Poetry Journal, volume 51, number 4, archived from the original on 03 Mar 2016, page 21:
But it is a braw elemental sphere this o' ours, for here's a good queich o' claret for ye, an' a shag o' butter-an'-bread. 1830 January 23, Ettrick Shepherd, “Dr David Dale's Account of a Grand Aerial Voyage”, in The Edinburgh Literary Journal, volume 3, number 63, page 52:
(attributive, countable, often, uncountable) A deliberately messy, shaggy hairstyle.
There was that hair salon on Yonge Street called House of Lords. On a Saturday – nowadays you can't even imagine it – but imagine a hair salon having a lineup outside of people wanting to get a shag haircut. 2011, Liz Worth, Gary Pig Gold, Treat Me Like Dirt: An Oral History of Punk in Toronto and Beyond 1977-1981, page 16:
Etymology tree
Old English sċeacga
Middle English *schagge
English shag
From Middle English *schagge, from Old English sċeacga (“hair, wool”), from Proto-Germanic *skaggô, *skaggiją (“projection, bristly hair, stem”), *skag- (“to emerge, stick out, protrude”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kek- (“to jump, move, hurry”).
Akin to Old Norse skegg (“beard”) (compare Danish skæg, Norwegian skjegg, Swedish skägg). Related to shake and shock via the root.
Meanings
(transitive) To make hairy or shaggy; to roughen.
He saw the pine its daring mantle rear, / Break the rude blast, and mock the brumal year / Shag the green zone that bounds the boreal skies, / And bid all southern vegetation rise. 1809, Joel Barlow, The Columbiad: A Poem, page 34:
(intransitive, obsolete) To hang in shaggy clusters.
And long curld locks that downe his shoulders shag 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book V, Canto IX”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
Unknown. Perhaps a derivative of Etymology 1, above, with reference to the shaggy crest of the European shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis).
Meanings
Any of several species of sea birds in the family Phalacrocoracidae (cormorant family), especially a common shag or European shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis), found on European and African coasts.
He ran back and picked up a dead bird that had fallen. It was not a duck but a shag. 1941, Ernestine Hill, My Love Must Wait, A&R Classics, published 2013, page 7:
St Francis of Assisi would be pushed to claim that young Shags are endearing. 1983, Bill Oddie, Gone Birding, London: Methuen, page 131:
From Middle English schaggen, a variant of Middle English schoggen (“to shake; shake off; tremble”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps a byform of Middle English schokken (“to shake; move rapidly”), related to Middle Low German schokken (“to shake; tremble”). Alternatively, perhaps ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *skakkōn (“to shake”), specifically continuing a post-Proto-Germanic variant *skagg-, where the non-singular stem *skag- caused the analogical replacement of the stem-final voiceless geminate consonants with voiced geminates, which was then leveled throughout the paradigm.
Meanings
(capitalized, sometimes) A swing dance.
Its evolutionary course is unclear; however, by the late thirties, Shag was all the rage both on and off college campuses. It became so popular, in fact, that a 1937 New York Times article describes it as “the fundamental dance step for swing.” 2011, Tamara Stevens, Erin Stevens, editors, Swing Dancing, ABC-CLIO, →ISBN, page 120:
'Most modern dances were invented here,' said Leiter. 'That's how good it is. The Lindy Hop, Truckin', the Susie Q, the Shag. All started on that floor. Every big American band you've ever heard of is proud that it once played here - Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, Noble Sissle, Fletcher Henderson. It's the Mecca of jazz and jive.' 1954, Ian Fleming, “Nigger Heaven”, in Live and Let Die, London: Pan Books, published 1957, page 52:
(slang, vulgar) An act of sex.
He could say yes, then just quietly leave the area without ever seeing the man again. He could even get a shag out of Charles first. 2011, Josephine Myles, Barging In, Samhain Publishing, Ltd., published 2011, →ISBN, page 24:
They were in the midst of an intense snog, his tongue down her throat as he tried to work out if he wanted another shag before she left for the night, when an odd noise sounded from behind the door of 2B. 2007, Julie Andrews, “Roman Must Die”, in The Leonard Variations: Clarion 2007 San Diego, →ISBN, page 10:
The blackbirds and robins and and^([sic]) tits and finches shout at each other, chups and warbles and chirrups that, loosely translated, mean “Fancy a shag?”, “Get OFF my land” or “I’ve got a great big tonker.” 2015 April 16, Richard P. Grant, “Sex and the successful fundraiser”, in The Guardian:
“And feel free to come over anytime you'd like a drink and a shag. […] 2010, Clara Darling, Hot City Nights, St. Martin's Press, published 2010, →ISBN, page 107:
I’m not interested in having a tired, throwaway midweek shag. Having sex once a week means I can give it my full attention and energy. 2023 May 13, Kitty Drake, “This is how we do it: ‘A tired, throwaway midweek shag doesn’t interest me’”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
(slang, vulgar) A casual sexual partner.
'Your favourite shag?' I ask her.
'Martin Kershen.'
'He was a sexy beast.' 2011, Wes Lee, “Saul”, in Zoe Dattner, Louise Swinn, editors, The Sleepers Almanac, No. 7, Sleepers Publishing, →ISBN, page 135:
"Was I just another shag to you, Trace? Someone to bed when the offer came?" 2008, Bruce Cooke, Trace Elements, Eternal Press, published 2008, →ISBN, page 56:
'It turned out that it was me who was just a shag to him. He had a girlfriend I didn't know about. He presumed I was up for some no-strings action. And the thing is, I thought I was – in theory. But in practice, I realized that I wasn't.' 2003, Freya North, Pip, Harper, published 2003, →ISBN:
Lizzy is a shag extraordinaire, but has a tongue like a sailor and a castrating stare. 1994 [1993], Irvine Welsh, “Cock Problems”, in Trainspotting, London: Minerva, →ISBN, page 87:
sv knull (sexual partner) · sv ligg (sexual partner) · ru тра́халь (sexual partner) · pt foda (sexual partner) · pt foda (act of sex) · fo putt (act of sex) · ru тра́ханье (act of sex) · it scopata (act of sex) · it compagno (sexual partner) · de Fick (act of sex) · es polvo (sexual partner) · id bercinta (act of sex) · el γαμήσι (act of sex) · fi pano (sexual partner) · nl wip (sexual partner) · de Fickpartner (sexual partner) · fi shag (swing dance) · no knull (act of sex) · de Fick (sexual partner) · sv knull (act of sex) · de Fickpartnerin (sexual partner) · fr baise (act of sex) · es polvo (act of sex) · sv ligg (act of sex) · nl wip (act of sex) · fo hopp (act of sex) · ru тра́хальщица (sexual partner) · fo lítið (act of sex) · ru шэг (swing dance) · fi pano (act of sex) · fo nummar (act of sex) · fo nipp (act of sex) · fo mogg (act of sex)
From Middle English schaggen, a variant of Middle English schoggen (“to shake; shake off; tremble”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps a byform of Middle English schokken (“to shake; move rapidly”), related to Middle Low German schokken (“to shake; tremble”). Alternatively, perhaps ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *skakkōn (“to shake”), specifically continuing a post-Proto-Germanic variant *skagg-, where the non-singular stem *skag- caused the analogical replacement of the stem-final voiceless geminate consonants with voiced geminates, which was then leveled throughout the paradigm.
Meanings
(intransitive) To shake, wiggle around.
(Australia, Ireland, UK, slang, transitive, vulgar) To have sex with.
Every time since has been a disaster. Our sex life always has been. After k.b.ing me for ages, she’d eventually let me shag her. 1994 [1993], Irvine Welsh, “The Glass”, in Trainspotting, London: Minerva, →ISBN, page 76:
“Ha! Shagging a chair is quite odd.” “Its legs were very sexy. And I know how you are, so I expected a challenge. What did you turn into anyway?” “Oh, the dowdiest mortal woman. You should have seen it.” “Oh, I would have been all over that.” “I know!” 2025 May 11, Monica Padrick, “Don Tyxote” (15:59 from the start), in Krapopolis, season 2, episode 21, spoken by Deliria (Hannah Waddingham):
I can kick this stuff any time I like. I tell you what. Get this week over, we'll go to a health farm for ten days. No drugs. No drink. And shag ourselves silly. How about that? 1990, Michael Dobbs, Andrew Davies, House of Cards, season 1, episode 2:
‘You never got so much as a bit of tit in three months, and I shagged her first week!’ 1995, Nick Hornby, High Fidelity, London: Victor Gollancz, →ISBN, page 18:
(Australia, Ireland, UK, intransitive, slang, vulgar) To have sex.
I'm not pregnant! I have shagged and shagged and shagged and all the little bastards missed! 2002, Steven Moffat, Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps (Coupling), season 3, episode 7, spoken by Jane Christie (Gina Bellman):
(India, slang, transitive, vulgar) To masturbate.
To chase after; especially, to chase after and return (a ball) hit usually out of play.
Chris is off somewhere in the darkness, but I'm not going to shag after him. 1974, Robert M[aynard] Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values, New York, N.Y.: William Morrow & Company, →ISBN:
When a White Sox scout spotted him shagging flies on a Milwaikee^([sic]) sandlot, and asked Felsch if he'd like to come to Chicago, Hap decided that that might be fun, too. 1997, Nelson Algren, The Last Carousel, page 273:
(uncommon) To perform the dance called the shag.
Showman Monte Proser tried to cash in on the boom on a mass basis with his Dance Carnival in Madison Square Garden, where dancers lindy hopped, shagged and fox-trotted to the orchestras of Benny Goodman, Larry Clinton and Charlie Barnett[…] 1970, Richard R. Lingeman, Don't You Know There's a War On? […] , Putnam, →ISBN, page 16:
sh kresnuti (to have sex with) · pl mieszać (to shake) · it stare alle calcagna (to chase after) · ja ファックする (to have sex with) · nl wippen (to have sex with) · th ร่วมเพศ (to have sex with) · pl pieprzyć się (to have sex with) · no knulle (to have sex with) · cy sielffo (to have sex with) · it pedinare (to chase after) · th เย็ด (to have sex with) · cmn 幹 /干 (to have sex with) · vi quan hệ tình dục (to have sex with) · ja 犯す (to have sex with) · ja やる (to have sex with) · nl wiebelen (to shake) · ja エッチする (to have sex with) · de ficken (to have sex with) · it agitarsi (to shake) · et nikkuma (to have sex with) · it seguire (to chase after) · de bumsen (to have sex with) · fi panna (to have sex with) · es joder (to have sex with) · it dimenarsi (to shake) · lt dulkintis (to have sex with) · sv skaka (to shake) · ru трясти́ (to shake) · sv knulla (to have sex with) · sv ligga (to have sex with) · pt comer (to have sex with) · ru меша́ть (to shake) · cmn 搞 (to have sex with) · fi vipeltää (to shake) · it chiavare (to have sex with) · fr sauter (to have sex with) · ru тра́хать (to have sex with) · fr baiser (to have sex with) · uz qoqish (to have sex with) · it scopare (to have sex with) · pt agitar (to shake) · ru гоня́ться (to chase after)
I'm fcuked then mate. Born and bred sarf london and the missarse is a brummie. Oh and her old man is a scouser!!¶ You all still sound like a bunch of inbreds though but it's better than the Hereford accent "alright shag where you be" 2008 January 9, ex_rubberdagger [username], “The Guzz Accent”, in Navy Net Forums:
Anyways, I'll check in every now and then, cheers shag :-) 2015 February 18, “Not had a fag for weeks”, in Reddit, r/TheRedLion:
I was going down the stairs to get my bike when I ran into Jim Mudd coming up. "Alright shag?" he said like we were best mates. 2010, John Featherstone, Hangman's Got The Blues:
I suppose they could not really blame us for feeling so shack after doing PT, drill and other boring lessons in the morning. 1994, C. S. Chong, NS: An Air-Level Story, →ISBN, page 33:
(Singapore, Singlish, of an activity, slang) Tough and exhausting.