scrag
/skɹæɡ/ noun, verb
Forms scrags scragging scragged
- noun (archaic) A thin or scrawny person or animal.
- noun (archaic) The lean end of a neck of mutton; the scrag end.
- noun (archaic) The neck, especially of a sheep.
- noun (Scotland) A scrog.
- noun (UK, slang, derogatory) A chav or ned; a stereotypically loud and aggressive person of lower social class.
- noun (Australia, slang, derogatory) A rough or unkempt woman.
- noun A ragged, stunted tree or branch.
- verb (obsolete, colloquial) To hang on a gallows, or to choke, garotte, or strangle.
- verb To harass; to manhandle.
- verb To destroy or kill.
Synonyms
thin person skin and bones scrag end garrote garrotte garotte choke
Etymology
Perhaps related to Norwegian skragg (a lean person), dialectal Swedish skragge (old and torn thing), Danish skrog (hull, carcass); perhaps related to shrink.
Webster’s 1913
- noun Something thin, lean, or rough; a bony piece; especially, a bony neckpiece of meat; hence, humorously or in contempt, the neck.
- noun A rawboned person. [Low] Halliwell.
Etymology [Cf. dial. Sw. skraka a great dry tree, a long, lean man, Gael. sgreagach dry, shriveled, rocky. See Shrink, and cf. Scrog, Shrag, n.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “scrag”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details