shag

C2 Topic:Register & Style

US /ʃæɡ/ UK /ʃæɡ/ See IPA manual

Minimal pairs

Sounds like sag /s/ vs /ʃ/

Freq #10890

Meanings

1

noun
strong, coarse-cut tobacco

He filled his pipe with shag and settled beside the fire.
2

noun
a rough, matted mass or long pile of hair, fibers, or fabric

The old rug had a deep shag that trapped dust easily.
3

noun
British, vulgar: an act of sexual intercourse

The comedy uses shag as a deliberately crude term for sex.
4

noun
a lively swing dance characterized by quick hopping steps

They learned the shag at a weekend swing-dance workshop.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · strong, coarse-cut tobacco shag tobaccocoarse-cut tobacco

2 noun · a rough, matted mass or... long pilematted hair

3 noun · british, vulgar: an act of... sexual intercourse

4 noun · a lively swing dance... swing dance

Word family

Derived forms shaggyshagginessshagger

Related forms tobacco pile fleece

Common collocations

shag rug Noun + noun

Etymology

From Middle English shaggen, probably meaning 'to shake' or 'make rough.' The noun developed senses for rough or matted hair and fabric; coarse-cut tobacco was named for a similar shredded appearance. The dance and vulgar sexual senses have later, partly distinct histories.

Topics

Register & Style

External links

# shag

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ʃæɡ/
**IPA (UK):** /ʃæɡ/
**Frequency rank:** 10890

## Meanings
1. strong, coarse-cut tobacco
2. a rough, matted mass or long pile of hair, fibers, or fabric
3. British, vulgar: an act of sexual intercourse
4. a lively swing dance characterized by quick hopping steps

## Examples
- He filled his pipe with shag and settled beside the fire.
- The old rug had a deep shag that trapped dust easily.
- The comedy uses shag as a deliberately crude term for sex.
- They learned the shag at a weekend swing-dance workshop.

## Synonyms
- shag tobacco
- coarse-cut tobacco
- long pile
- sexual intercourse
- swing dance

## Derived Forms
- shaggy
- shagginess
- shagger

## Related Forms
- tobacco
- pile
- fleece

## Etymology
From Middle English shaggen, probably meaning 'to shake' or 'make rough.' The noun developed senses for rough or matted hair and fabric; coarse-cut tobacco was named for a similar shredded appearance. The dance and vulgar sexual senses have later, partly distinct histories.

## Topics
- Register & Style

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