/ 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 .