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Definition of "rag" []

  • A scrap of cloth. (noun)
  • A piece of cloth used for cleaning, washing, or dusting. (noun)
  • Threadbare or tattered clothing. (noun)
  • Cloth converted to pulp for making paper. (noun)
  • A scrap; a fragment. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "rag" in a sentence
  • "She looked very charming and imposing in her evening dress, but when Betty ventured to admire it she was informed that it was "A rag, my dear -- a prehistoric _rag_!" and warned that at any moment the worn-out fabric might be expected to fly asunder, when "As you love me, fling yourself upon me, and _hurl_ me from the room!"
  • "Few sounds are more distinct in their kind, or one would think more likely to be vocally reproduced in the word which signified them, than that of a swift rent in strongly woven cloth; and the English word 'rag' and ragged, with the Greek [Greek: rhêgnumi], do indeed in a measure recall the tormenting effect upon the ear."
  • "Just because they are new and every rag is buzzing over them doesn't mean I want to run out and buy one."