scrag

 
Pronunciation: /skrag/

verb (scrags, scragging, scragged)

[with object]
  • 1 informal, chiefly British handle roughly; beat up: my brothers were hoping he’d put a foot wrong so they could scrag him
  • Rugby grasp (an opponent) by placing an arm around the neck: he was scragged by Budd and Cooper came away with the ball
  • 2 archaic or US kill by strangling or hanging: many an honester man than her has been scragged
  • US informal, dated kill; murder: you can think up a nicer way of scragging me than by drowning, because you know I loathe water

noun

  • 1an unattractively thin person or animal: his companion was a thin scrag of a man
  • 2 archaic, informal a person’s neck.

Origin:

mid 16th century (as a noun): perhaps an alteration of Scots and northern English crag 'neck'. The verb (mid 18th century) developed the sense 'handle roughly' from the early use 'hang, strangle'