fag1

 
Pronunciation: /fag/
British

noun

  • 1 [in singular] informal a tiring or unwelcome task: it’s too much of a fag to drive all the way there and back again
  • 2a junior pupil at a public school who does minor chores for a senior pupil: a fag at school who has suffered a well-earned beating

verb (fags, fagging, fagged)

[no object] informal
  • work hard, especially at a tedious task: he didn’t have to fag away in a lab to get the right answer
  • (of a public-school pupil) do minor chores for a senior pupil: the lower boys in each house fagged for members of the Library

Origin:

mid 16th century (as a verb in the sense 'grow weary'): of unknown origin. Compare with flag4