rag

Definition

Tattered clothes (clothing).

Etymology

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 with Swedish ragg. Related to rug.

Example Sentences

• "—What a pretty dress! —What, this old rag?"
• "It's semiformal. I can't show up dressed in rags!"
• "rags to riches"