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tag1

Pronunciation: /tag/

Translate tag | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of tag

noun

  • 1a label attached to someone or something for the purpose of identification or to give other information: he gave his pet a collar with a metal name tag he took off his identity tag and inserted it into a machine
  • an electronic device that can be attached to someone or something for monitoring purposes, e.g. to track offenders under house arrest or to deter shoplifters.
  • a nickname or description popularly given to someone or something:he lived up to his tag as the team’s saviour
  • informal a nickname or other identifying mark written as the signature of a graffiti artist:scrawled felt-tip tags on city walls
  • Computing a character or set of characters appended to a piece of text or data in order to identify or categorize it.
  • US the licence plate of a motor vehicle: the car had Texas tags
  • 2a small piece or part that is attached to a main body.
  • a ragged lock of wool on a sheep.
  • the tip of an animal’s tail when it is distinctively coloured.
  • a loose or spare end of something; a leftover: I have a few tags of second-hand equipment
  • a metal or plastic point at the end of a shoelace that stiffens it, making it easier to insert through an eyelet.
  • 3a frequently repeated quotation or stock phrase: his writing is full of tags from the Bible and Shakespeare
  • Theatre a closing speech addressed to the audience.
  • a refrain or musical phrase in a song or piece of music.
  • Grammar a short phrase or clause added to an already complete sentence, as in I like it, I do.

verb (tags, tagging, tagged)

[with object]
  • 1attach a label to:mothers suspected that their babies had been wrongly tagged during an alarm at the hospital
  • attach an electronic tag to: (as noun tagging)the tagging of remand prisoners
  • [with object and adverbial or complement] give a specified name or description to:he left because he didn’t want to be tagged as a soap star
  • informal (of a graffiti artist) write one’s nickname or mark on (a surface):metal hoardings tagged with hip-hop graffiti
  • Computing add a character or set of characters to (a piece of text or data) in order to identify or categorize it.
  • Biology & Chemistry label (something) with a radioactive isotope, fluorescent dye, or other marker: pieces of DNA tagged with radioactive particles
  • 2 [with object and adverbial] add to something, especially as an afterthought or with no real connection:she meant to tag her question on at the end of her remarks
  • [no object, with adverbial] follow or accompany someone, especially without invitation:that’ll teach you not to tag along where you’re not wanted
  • [with object] British informal follow closely:we were tagged—that car was following us
  • 3shear away ragged locks of wool from (sheep).

Origin:

late Middle English (denoting a narrow hanging section of a decoratively slashed garment): of unknown origin; compare with dag. The verb dates from the early 17th century

tag in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of tag in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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