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Cloth vs Rag - What's the difference?

cloth | rag |

As nouns the difference between cloth and rag

is that cloth is a woven fabric such as used in dressing, decorating, cleaning or other practical use while rag is tattered clothes.

As a verb rag is

to become tattered.

cloth

English

Alternative forms

* (l) (obsolete) * (l), (l), (l) (Scotland)

Noun

(en-noun)
  • (uncountable) A woven fabric such as used in dressing, decorating, cleaning or other practical use.
  • * {{quote-book, year=1905, author=
  • , title= , chapter=2 citation , passage=“H'm !” he said, “so, so—it is a tragedy in a prologue and three acts. I am going down this afternoon to see the curtain fall for the third time on what [...] will prove a good burlesque ; but it all began dramatically enough. It was last Saturday […] that two boys, playing in the little spinney just outside Wembley Park Station, came across three large parcels done up in American cloth . […]”}}
  • A piece of cloth used for a particular purpose.
  • A form of attire that represents a particular profession.
  • (in idioms) Priesthood, clergy.
  • Synonyms

    * (woven fabric) material, stuff * See also

    Derived terms

    (terms derived from "cloth") * cheesecloth * cut from the same cloth * dishcloth * facecloth * horsecloth * loincloth * man of the cloth * sackcloth * tablecloth * take the cloth * washcloth * whole cloth, from whole cloth, out of whole cloth * wire cloth

    rag

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) . Cognate with Swedish ragg.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (in the plural) Tattered clothes.
  • * (and other bibliographic particulars) (Dryden)
  • Virtue, though in rags , will keep me warm.
  • A piece of old cloth; a tattered piece of cloth; a shred, a tatter.
  • * (and other bibliographic particulars) (Milton)
  • Cowls, hoods, and habits, with their wearers, tossed, / And fluttered into rags .
  • * (and other bibliographic particulars) (Fuller)
  • Not having otherwise any rag of legality to cover the shame of their cruelty.
  • A shabby, beggarly fellow; a ragamuffin.
  • * (and other bibliographic particulars) (Ben Jonson)
  • The other zealous rag is the compositor.
  • * (and other bibliographic particulars) (Spenser)
  • Upon the proclamation, they all came in, both tag and rag .
  • A ragged edge in metalworking.
  • (nautical, slang) A sail, or any piece of canvas.
  • * (and other bibliographic particulars) (Lowell)
  • Our ship was a clipper with every rag set.
  • (slang, pejorative) A newspaper, magazine.
  • (rfc-sense) (poker slang) A card that appears to help no one.
  • (rfc-sense) (poker slang) A low card.
  • Derived terms
    * on the rag * lose one's rag * ragwort * smell of an oily rag

    Verb

    (ragg)
  • To become tattered.
  • (Webster 1913)

    Etymology 2

    origin; perhaps the same word as Etymology 1, above.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A coarse kind of rock, somewhat cellular in texture; ragstone.
  • * 2003 , (Peter Ackroyd), The Clerkenwell Tales , page 1:
  • the three walls around the garden, each one of thirty-three feet, were built out of three layers of stone — pebble stone, flint and rag stone.

    Verb

    (ragg)
  • To break (ore) into lumps for sorting.
  • To cut or dress roughly, as a grindstone.
  • Etymology 3

    Origin uncertain.

    Verb

    (ragg)
  • To scold or rail at; to rate; to tease; to torment; to banter.
  • To drive a car or another vehicle in a hard, fast or unsympathetic manner.
  • To tease or torment, especially at a university; to bully, to haze.
  • Derived terms
    * rag the puck * rag on

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (dated) A prank or practical joke.
  • (UK, Ireland) A society run by university students for the purpose of charitable fundraising.
  • Derived terms

    * rag day * rag week

    Etymology 4

    Perhaps from (ragged). Compare later (ragtime).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (obsolete, US) An informal dance party featuring music played by African-American string bands.
  • A ragtime song, dance or piece of music.
  • Anagrams

    *

    References

    * Weisenberg, Michael (2000) The Official Dictionary of Poker. MGI/Mike Caro University. ISBN 978-1880069523 ----