Rag — Defs

01 v. t. To scold or rail at; to rate; to tease; to torment; to banter.

02 n. A piece of cloth torn off; a tattered piece of cloth; a shred; a tatter; a fragment.

1.
A piece of cloth torn off; a tattered piece of cloth; a shred; a tatter; a fragment.
“Cowls, hoods, and habits, with their wearers, tossed, And fluttered into rags.” — Milton.

“Not having otherwise any rag of legality to cover the shame of their cruelty.” — Fuller.
2.
Hence, mean or tattered attire; worn-out dress.
“And virtue, though in rags, will keep me warm.” — Dryden.
3.
A shabby, beggarly fellow; a ragamuffin.
“The other zealous rag is the compositor.” — B. Jonson.

“Upon the proclamation, they all came in, both tag and rag.” — Spenser.
4.
A coarse kind of rock, somewhat cellular in texture.(Geol.)
5.
A ragged edge.(Metal Working)
6.
A sail, or any piece of canvas.[Nautical Slang]
“Our ship was a clipper with every rag set.” — Lowell.

Phrases & compounds

Rag bolt — an iron pin with barbs on its shank to retain it in place.

Rag carpet — a carpet of which the weft consists of narrow strips of cloth sewed together, end to end.

Rag dust — fine particles of ground-up rags, used in making papier-maché and wall papers.

Rag wheel — A chain wheel; a sprocket wheel

Rag wool — wool obtained by tearing woolen rags into fine bits, shoddy.

03 v. i. To become tattered.

imp. & p. p. Ragged; p. pr. & vb. n. Ragging

04 v. t. To break (ore) into lumps for sorting.

05 v. t. To play or compose (a piece, melody, etc.) in syncopated time.

1.
To play or compose (a piece, melody, etc.) in syncopated time.(Music) [Colloq.]
2.
To dance to ragtime music, esp. in some manner considered indecorous.[Colloq. or Slang]