rag

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A piece of old cloth, especially one used for cleaning.

   He wiped his oily hands on an old rag.

2. 2
   noun

   Old, torn clothes.

   The beggar was dressed in dirty rags.

3. 3
   noun

   A newspaper, especially one of poor quality.

   You shouldn't believe everything you read in that local rag.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Rag probably comes from a Scandinavian word meaning “tufted.” Ragamuffin is probably an elaboration of rag, while rug is probably from the same root. In lose your rag, rag is probably an old slang term for the tongue, connected with the original sense of rag and with the 18th-century verb rag, “to scold.”

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.

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary