rag

CEFRC1

/ɹaɡ/

noun · verb

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A piece of old cloth used for cleaning.

  2. 02

    verb

    To tease or criticize someone in an informal way.

Examples

  • Don't talk to him about politics because it's like a red rag to a bull.

  • He plugged the hole in the pipe with an old rag.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
2
Citations
5
Synonyms
4

Also pronounced

  • /ɹeɪ̯ɡ/

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. A piece of old cloth, especially one used for cleaning, patching, etc.; a tattered piece of cloth; a shred or tatter.

  2. A shabby, beggarly person; synonym of ragamuffin.

  3. Tattered clothes (clothing).

More examples

In context

  • She used a damp rag to wipe off the dust.

  • —What a pretty dress! —What, this old rag?

  • It's semiformal. I can't show up dressed in rags!

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

Use a clean blank to wipe the dust off the table.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

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.