rag

Rag most commonly refers to a piece of old cloth, often torn from a larger garment or textile, used for cleaning, wiping, dusting, or polishing. The term may also denote a fabric scrap used in crafts, for example to make rag rugs.

In textile recycling and papermaking, rags are pieces of cloth recovered from worn garments or linens and repurposed into new products; historically, rag paper was made from linen or cotton fibers rather than wood pulp.

In journalism, rag is slang for a newspaper or periodical, especially a sensational or low-quality one, sometimes used disparagingly.

In music, ragtime is a genre of music that originated in African American communities in the late 19th century and became popular in the early 20th century. It features syncopated melodies played over a regular, march-like bass and is associated with composers such as Scott Joplin.

As a verb, rag means to tease or nag someone persistently, or to criticize in a playful or persistent way.

Rag also appears in idioms and crafts, such as rag weaving or rag rugs, and the term remains common in historical references to rag as a material source for papermaking and recycling.