WordGarden.ioscrag
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /skrˈæɡ/
US
Meanings
Noun
an insulting term for a thin, scrawny person
the neck, especially in informal use
Verb
to throttle, strangle, or kill by wringing the neck
Beyond the definition
This is a rough, slangy word with a few related meanings. As a noun, it can mean a thin, bony person, usually in an insulting way. It can also mean the neck or the thin end of a cut of meat, especially mutton.
As a verb, it usually suggests violent or rough action. In British and Australian use, it can mean to grab someone hard, shake them, or manhandle them, often by the neck or clothes. It can also mean to damage something badly through force or carelessness. In older or harsher slang, it may even mean to kill someone, especially by hanging or throttling.
This is a gritty, old-fashioned slang word that has stayed alive in a few different corners of English. At its core, it often suggests something thin, bony, rough, or harshly treated.
As a noun, it can refer to a skinny, scrawny person. That use is insulting and carries clear contempt. You might see it in older fiction or hear it in regional speech when someone is being dismissed as weak, miserable, or not worth much. The noun can also refer more literally to the neck, or to the thin, bony end of a cut of meat, as in the "scrag end" of mutton.
As a verb, the word becomes more forceful. It can mean to seize someone roughly, shake them, or manhandle them, especially in a fight, a chase, or a rough sport. In some contexts, it can also mean to attack or kill someone, with older uses linking it to hanging or throttling. Another common informal meaning is to damage, ruin, or wreck an object by handling it badly or using too much force. If someone says they "scragged" a part while fixing a car, they mean they bent it, stripped it, or otherwise messed it up.
Overall, the word has a hard edge in every sense. Whether it points to a skinny person, a bony bit of meat, a rough grab, or a damaged object, it almost always sounds informal, harsh, and slightly aggressive.
Examples
- 1
Stray animal
The stray cat was a scrag when it wandered into our yard.
- 2
Meat cut
The butcher suggested using the scrag end for a slow-cooked stew.
- Phrasethe scrag end
the neck end of meat
- 3
Crime threat
In the film, the gang threaten to scrag anyone who talks to the police.
- Usagescrag someone
attack or kill them; informal, mainly British English
See also
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- scragnounverb