rag

noun

1. a worthless piece of cloth, especially one that is torn or worn.
2. rags, ragged or tattered clothing: The tramp was dressed in rags.
3. any article of apparel regarded deprecatingly or self-deprecatingly, especially a dress: It’s just an old rag I had in the closet.
4. a shred, scrap, or fragmentary bit of anything.
5. Informal.
   1. something of very low value or in very poor condition.
   2. a newspaper or magazine regarded with contempt or distaste: Are you still subscribing to that rag?
6. a person of shabby or exhausted appearance.
7. a large roofing slate that has one edge untrimmed.

Idioms

8. chew the rag. chew(def 11).
9. from rags to riches, from extreme poverty to great wealth: He went from rags to riches in only three years.

verb (used with object), ragged, rag·ging.

1. to scold.
2. to subject to a teasing, especially in an intense or prolonged way (often followed by on): Some of the boys were ragging on him about his haircut.
3. British. to torment with jokes; play crude practical jokes on.

noun

4. British. an act of ragging.

verb (used with object), ragged, rag·ging.

1. to break up (lumps of ore) for sorting.

noun

1. a musical composition in ragtime: a piano rag.

verb (used with object), ragged, rag·ging.

2. to play (music) in ragtime.

noun

1. 1. a small piece of cloth, such as one torn from a discarded garment, or such pieces of cloth collectively
   2. (as modifier)a rag doll; a rag book; rag paper
2. a fragmentary piece of any material; scrap; shred
3. informal a newspaper or other journal, esp one considered as worthless, sensational, etc
4. informal an item of clothing
5. informal a handkerchief
6. British slang esp nautical a flag or ensign
7. lose one’s rag to lose one’s temper suddenly

verb rags, ragging or ragged (tr)

1. to draw attention facetiously and persistently to the shortcomings or alleged shortcomings of (a person)
2. British to play rough practical jokes on

noun

3. British a boisterous practical joke, esp one on a fellow student
4. (in British universities)
   1. a period, usually a week, in which various events are organized to raise money for charity, including a procession of decorated floats and tableaux
   2. (as modifier)rag day

noun

1. a piece of ragtime music

verb rags, ragging or ragged

2. (tr) to compose or perform in ragtime

noun

1. a roofing slate that is rough on one side

n.

scrap of cloth, early 14c., probably from Old Norse rögg “shaggy tuft,” earlier raggw-, or possibly from Old Danish rag (see rug), or a back-formation from ragged, It also may represent an unrecorded Old English cognate of Old Norse rögg. Watkins traces the Old Norse word through Proto-Germanic *rawwa-, from PIE root *reue- “to smash, knock down, tear up, uproot” (see rough (adj.)).

As an insulting term for “newspaper, magazine” it dates from 1734; slang for “tampon, sanitary napkin” is attested from 1930s (on the rag “menstruating” is from 1948). Rags “personal clothing” is from 1855 (singular), American English. Rags-to-riches “rise from poverty to wealth” is attested by 1896. Rag-picker is from 1860; rag-shop from 1829.

v.

“scold,” 1739, of unknown origin; perhaps related to Danish dialectal rag “grudge.” Related: Ragged; ragging. Cf. bullyrag, ballarag “intimidate” (1807).

In addition to the idiom beginning with rag

• rag doll

also see:

• chew the fat (rag)
• from rags to riches
• glad rags
• run ragged