English word origin

Etymology of rag

From Middle English ragge, from Old English ragg (suggested by derivative raggiġ (“shaggy; bristly; ragged”)), from Old Norse rǫgg (“tuft; shagginess”), from Proto-Germanic *rawwa-, probably related to *rūhaz. Cognate wi

5 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 5 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1 · variant 1/2

Original entry ↗

noun

Tattered clothes (clothing). · A piece of old cloth, especially one used for cleaning, patching, etc.; a tattered piece of cloth; a shred or tatter. · A shabby, beggarly person; synonym of ragamuffin. · A ragged edge in metalworking.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentionraggeenm
Inherited-form mentionraggang
Derivation mentionrǫggnon · tuft; shagginess
Derivation mention*rawwa-gem-pro
Cognate mentionraggsv

This page abbreviates 8 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 1 · variant 2/2

Original entry ↗

verb

To decorate (a wall, etc.) by applying paint with a rag. · To become tattered. · To menstruate.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentionraggeenm
Inherited-form mentionraggang
Derivation mentionrǫggnon · tuft; shagginess
Derivation mention*rawwa-gem-pro
Cognate mentionraggsv

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

verb

To break (ore) into lumps for sorting. · To cut or dress roughly, as a grindstone.

noun

A coarse kind of rock, somewhat cellular in texture; ragstone.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Unknown origin; perhaps the same word as Etymology 1, above.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

noun

A prank or practical joke. · A society run by university students for the purpose of charitable fundraising.

verb

To scold or tell off; to torment; to banter. · To drive a car or another vehicle in a hard, fast, or unsympathetic manner. · To tease or torment, especially at a university; to bully, to haze. · Of dogs, to bite an object, often a toy or leash, and vigorously shake their head.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Uncertain. Ideas about the scolding and tormenting senses being related to on the rag are only speculative.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗

verb

To play or compose (a piece, melody, etc.) in syncopated time. · To dance to ragtime music. · To add syncopation (to a tune) and thereby make it appropriate for a ragtime song.

noun

An informal dance party featuring music played by African-American string bands. · A ragtime song, dance or piece of music.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Perhaps from ragged. Compare later ragtime.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Where this record stops

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An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for rag →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

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Permanent entry ID: w-cmFn