rag
rag [rag rags ragged ragging] noun, verb BrE [ræɡ] NAmE [ræɡ]
noun
1. countable, uncountable a piece of old, often torn, cloth used especially for cleaning things
•I wiped the window with a damp rag.
•Use a piece of old rag.
see also ↑glad rags
2. countable (informal, usually disapproving)a newspaper that you believe to be of low quality
•the local rag
3. countable a piece of ↑ragtime music
4. (BrE)uncountable, countable an event or a series of events organized by students each year to raise money for charity
•rag week
more at a red rag to a bull at ↑red adj.
Word Origin:
n. senses 1 to 2 and
Middle English ↑ragged raggy ‘ragged’ n. sense 4 and v. mid 18th cent.n. sense 3 late 19th cent. ↑ragged ↑ragtime
Example Bank:
•He wiped his hands on an oily rag.
•I cleaned the board with an old rag.
•I saw people dressed in rags begging on the street.
•The gun was wrapped in a dirty rag.
•Wipe the board with a damp rag.
•You can wipe the stains off with a rag.
•I don't know how you can bear to read that awful rag!
Idioms: ↑in rags ▪ ↑lose your rag ▪ ↑rags to riches
Derived: ↑rag on somebody
verb (-gg-)~ sb (about sth) (old-fashioned, BrE)
to laugh at and/or play tricks on sb
Syn: ↑tease
Verb forms: 
Word Origin:
n. senses 1 to 2 and
Middle English ↑ragged raggy ‘ragged’ n. sense 4 and v. mid 18th cent.n. sense 3 late 19th cent. ↑ragged ↑ragtime
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