rag1 Syllabification: (rag)Pronunciation: /rag/Translate rag | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish Definition of rag noun 1a piece of old cloth, especially one torn from a larger piece, used typically for cleaning things:he wiped his hands on an oily rag a piece of rag (rags) old or tattered clothes. (rags) the remnants of something:she clung to the rags of her self-control [with negative] archaic the smallest scrap of cloth or clothing:not a rag of clothing has arrived to us this winter 2 informal a newspaper, typically one regarded as being of low quality:the local ragPhrases be on the rag informal be menstruating. [from rag in the sense 'sanitary napkin'] chew the rag see chew. in rags (of clothes) tattered and torn. (of a person) wearing tattered old clothes. Origin: Middle English: probably a back-formation from ragged or raggyrag in other Oxford dictionaries Definition of rag in the British & World English dictionary
