Definition
nounResistance of a fluid to something moving through it.
nounAny force acting in opposition to the motion of an object.
Sentence Examples
The children would be a drag on me, so I want to go without them.
This looks as though it will drag on and on.
The sack is too heavy to lift—you’ll have to drag it.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English draggen (“to drag”), early Middle English dragen (“to draw, carry”), confluence of Old English dragan (“to drag, draw, draw oneself, go, protract”) and Old Norse draga (“to draw, attract”); both from Proto-Germanic *draganą (“to draw, drag”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰregʰ- (“to draw, drag”).
Verb sense influenced due to association with the noun drag (“that which is hauled or dragged”), related to Low German dragge (“a drag-anchor, grapnel”). Cognate with Danish drægge (“to dredge”), Danish drage (“to draw, attract”), Swedish dragga (“to drag, drag anchor, sweep”), Swedish draga (“to draw, go”), Icelandic draga (“to drag, pull”). Doublet of draw.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
""He told me that he was certain that Coates shot at him. We threw out a drag and landed Coates within an hour.""
— 1920 June 26, The Electrical Experimenter, New York, page 151, column 3:
"Yes, I wish that for just one time / You could stand inside my shoes / You'd know what a drag it is / To see you"
— 1965, Bob Dylan, “Positively 4th Street”:
"I’m down here readin’ for my little go during the Long, only I come over from Baymouth pretty often in my drag…"
— 1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 10, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849–1850, →OCLC:
"Alcee Arobin and Mrs. Highcamp called for her one bright afternoon in Arobin's drag."
— 1899, Kate Chopin, The Awakening:
"A northbound drag of furnace coal on the former South Yorkshire Joint Line crosses the East Coast main line near Black Carr behind Class "O4/1" 2-8-0 No. 63693."
— 1959 October, “South of Doncaster”, in Trains Illustrated, page 470, photo caption: