From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishragrag1 /ræɡ/ ●○○ noun 1 cloth [countable, uncountable]DHC a small piece of old cloth, for example one used for cleaning things He wiped his boots dry with an old rag. an oily rag2 newspaper [countable] informalTCN a newspaper, especially one that you think is not particularly important or of good quality He writes for the local rag.3 → in rags4 → from rags to riches5 music [countable]APM a piece of ragtime music6 students’ event [countable] British EnglishSEC an event organized by students every year in order to make money for people who are poor, sick etc rag week → glad rags at glad(7), → like a red rag to a bull at red1(5), → lose your rag at lose(11)
Examples from the Corpus
rag• Just get a rag and wipe it up.• I opened the window, stepped out on the ledge, and began to wash windowpanes with a rag.• That paper's nothing but a fascist rag.• The thin cake was hard and resistant as a frozen rag.• Maple Leaf Rag• A wet finger or rag will smooth a caulked joint and leave a neat appearance.• This was how he remembered her, rather than as the cancer-pained rag doll he had nursed until her death.• When I got back to the villa, I saw a red rag tied to the balcony.• He put the rags be-tween my legs.• The smell of oil clung to her as strongly as it did to the rags in the van.local rag• I advertised in the local rag, but to no avail.• But that wretched Sandra would have had a field day too - her picture in the local rag in her best dress.• I can scour the local rags!ragrag2 verb (ragged, ragging) [transitive] British English old-fashionedLAUGHTRICK/DECEIVE to laugh at someone or play tricks on them SYN tease→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
rag• Uncle Michael on a metal bed, cocooned in a fold of army blanket under mosquito netting, drawing ragged breaths.• Her voice sounded ragged from much weeping.• A ragged halo of smoky-blue cloud wraps round the intense silver glow.• Arsenal could easily have trebled their score as they ran Liverpool ragged in the second half.• Brush on the dye, working with the grain, and rag off any excess.• There'd been a ragged reconciliation in the morning.• Theresa tipped the can over; the squirrel, looking ragged, scooted toward liberation.• He lay naked on his back with the ragged stump of his leg pointing out the side door.Origin rag1 1. (1300-1400) Old Norse rögg “rough hairiness”2. (1800-1900) ragtime rag2 (1700-1800) Origin unknown 