RAG


Meaning of RAG in English

/ ræg; NAmE / noun , verb

■ noun

1.

[ C , U ] a piece of old, often torn, cloth used especially for cleaning things

—see also glad rags

2.

[ C ] ( informal , usually disapproving ) a newspaper that you believe to be of low quality :

the local rag

3.

a piece of ragtime music

4.

( BrE ) [ U , C ] an event or a series of events organized by students each year to raise money for charity :

rag week

IDIOMS

- in rags

- (from) rags to riches

- lose your rag

—more at red adjective

■ verb

( -gg- ) [ vn ] rag sb (about sth) ( old-fashioned , BrE ) to laugh at and/or play tricks on sb

SYN tease

PHRASAL VERBS

- rag on sb

••

WORD ORIGIN

noun senses 1 to 2 and idsym. Middle English : probably a back-formation from ragged or raggy ragged .

noun sense 4 and verb rag on sb. mid 18th cent.: of unknown origin.

noun sense 3 late 19th cent.: perhaps from ragged ; compare with ragtime .

Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary.      Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне.