ragged

adjective

1. clothed in tattered garments: a ragged old man.
2. torn or worn to rags; tattered: ragged clothing.
3. shaggy, as an animal, its coat, etc.
4. having loose or hanging shreds or fragmentary bits: a ragged wound.
5. full of rough or sharp projections; jagged: ragged stones.
6. in a wild or neglected state: a ragged garden.
7. rough, imperfect, or faulty: a ragged piece of work.
8. harsh, as sound, the voice, etc.
9. (of a column of type) set or printed with one side unjustified; either flush left with the right side unjustified (ragged right) or flush right with the left side unjustified (ragged left).

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.

adjective

1. (of clothes) worn to rags; tattered
2. (of a person) dressed in shabby tattered clothes
3. having a neglected or unkempt appearanceragged weeds
4. having a loose, rough, or uneven surface or edge; jagged
5. uneven or irregulara ragged beat; a ragged shout

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

adj.

“rough, shaggy,” c.1300, past participle adjective as though from a verb form of rag (n.). Cf. Latin pannosus “ragged, wrinkly,” from pannus “piece of cloth.” But the word might reflect a broader, older meaning; perhaps from or reinforced by Old Norse raggaðr “shaggy,” via Old English raggig “shaggy, bristly, rough” (which, Barnhart writes, “was almost surely developed from Scandinavian”). Of clothes, early 14c.; of persons, late 14c. To run (someone) ragged is from 1915. Related: Raggedly; raggedness.

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).

see run one ragged.

In addition to the idiom beginning with rag

• rag doll

also see:

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