RAG (ragged, ragging)

Pronunciation (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does rag mean? 

• RAG (noun)
  The noun RAG has 5 senses:

1. a small piece of cloth or paper
2. a week at British universities during which side-shows and processions of floats are organized to raise money for charities
3. music with a syncopated melody (usually for the piano)
4. newspaper with half-size pages
5. a boisterous practical joke (especially by college students)

  Familiarity information: RAG used as a noun is common.

• RAG (verb)
  The verb RAG has 6 senses:

1. treat cruelly
2. cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations
3. play in ragtime
4. harass with persistent criticism or carping
5. censure severely or angrily
6. break into lumps before sorting

  Familiarity information: RAG used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• RAG (noun)

Sense 1

rag [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

A small piece of cloth or paper

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

tatter; tag end; rag; tag; shred

Hypernyms ("rag" is a kind of...):

piece of cloth; piece of material (a separate part consisting of fabric)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "rag"):

pine-tar rag (baseball equipment consisting of a rag soaked with pine tar; used on the handle of a baseball bat to give a batter a firm grip)

Sense 2

rag [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

A week at British universities during which side-shows and processions of floats are organized to raise money for charities

Classified under:

Nouns denoting time and temporal relations

Synonyms:

rag week; rag

Hypernyms ("rag" is a kind of...):

hebdomad; week (any period of seven consecutive days)

Meronyms (parts of "rag"):

rag day (a day on which university students hold a rag)

Domain region:

Britain; GB; Great Britain; U.K.; UK; United Kingdom; United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland)

Sense 3

rag [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Music with a syncopated melody (usually for the piano)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

ragtime; rag

Hypernyms ("rag" is a kind of...):

ballroom music; dance music; danceroom music (a genre of popular music composed for ballroom dancing)

Sense 4

rag [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Newspaper with half-size pages

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

tabloid; rag; sheet

Hypernyms ("rag" is a kind of...):

newspaper; paper (a daily or weekly publication on folded sheets; contains news and articles and advertisements)

Sense 5

rag [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

A boisterous practical joke (especially by college students)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("rag" is a kind of...):

practical joke (a prank or trick played on a person (especially one intended to make the victim appear foolish))

Domain region:

Britain; GB; Great Britain; U.K.; UK; United Kingdom; United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (a monarchy in northwestern Europe occupying most of the British Isles; divided into England and Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland)

• RAG (verb)

Sense 1

rag [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Treat cruelly

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

bedevil; dun; rag; crucify; frustrate; torment

Context example:

The children tormented the stuttering teacher

Hypernyms (to "rag" is one way to...):

beset; chevvy; chevy; chivvy; chivy; harass; harry; hassle; molest; plague; provoke (annoy continually or chronically)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "rag"):

madden (drive up the wall; go on someone's nerves)

hamstring (make ineffective or powerless)

badger; beleaguer; bug; pester; tease (annoy persistently)

oppress; persecute (cause to suffer)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sense 2

rag [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

vex; rile; nark; irritate; gravel; annoy; devil; rag; nettle; bother; get to; chafe; get at

Context examples:

Mosquitoes buzzing in my ear really bothers me / It irritates me that she never closes the door after she leaves

Hypernyms (to "rag" is one way to...):

displease (give displeasure to)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "rag"):

antagonise; antagonize (provoke the hostility of)

beset; chevvy; chevy; chivvy; chivy; harass; harry; hassle; molest; plague; provoke (annoy continually or chronically)

fret (cause annoyance in)

ruffle (trouble or vex)

peeve (cause to be annoyed, irritated, or resentful)

eat into; fret; grate; rankle (gnaw into; make resentful or angry)

get; get under one's skin (irritate)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sentence example:

The performance is likely to rag Sue

Sense 3

rag [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Play in ragtime

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Context example:

rag that old tune

Hypernyms (to "rag" is one way to...):

play; spiel (replay (as a melody))

Domain category:

music (musical activity (singing or whistling etc.))

music (an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

They will rag the duet

Sense 4

rag [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Harass with persistent criticism or carping

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

tantalize; tantalise; razz; twit; taunt; bait; tease; cod; rag; ride; rally

Context examples:

The children teased the new teacher / Don't ride me so hard over my failure / His fellow workers razzed him when he wore a jacket and tie

Hypernyms (to "rag" is one way to...):

bemock; mock (treat with contempt)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "rag"):

barrack; flout; gibe; jeer; scoff (laugh at with contempt and derision)

banter; chaff; jolly; josh; kid (be silly or tease one another)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sense 5

rag [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Censure severely or angrily

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

dress down; have words; scold; reproof; take to task; chide; chew up; chew out; call on the carpet; berate; bawl out; rebuke; lambaste; reprimand; call down; lecture; lambast; remonstrate; trounce; jaw; rag

Context examples:

The mother scolded the child for entering a stranger's car / The deputy ragged the Prime Minister / The customer dressed down the waiter for bringing cold soup

Hypernyms (to "rag" is one way to...):

criticise; criticize; knock; pick apart (find fault with; express criticism of; point out real or perceived flaws)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "rag"):

castigate; chasten; chastise; correct; objurgate (censure severely)

brush down; tell off (reprimand)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sentence example:

Sam cannot rag Sue

Sense 6

rag [BACK TO TOP]

Meaning:

Break into lumps before sorting

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

rag ore

Hypernyms (to "rag" is one way to...):

break up; fragment; fragmentise; fragmentize (break or cause to break into pieces)

Domain category:

excavation; mining (the act of extracting ores or coal etc from the earth)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something