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drag

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: Drag, drąg, and Drąg

English

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English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *dʰregʰ-
Proto-Indo-European *dʰrógʰ-e-ti
Proto-Germanic *draganą
Proto-West Germanic *dragan
Old English dragan
Middle English dragen
Middle English draggen
Low German draggeinflu.
English drag

    From Middle English draggen (“to drag”), early Middle English dragen (“to draw, carry”), confluence of Old English dragan (“to drag, draw, draw oneself, go, protract”) and Old Norse draga (“to draw, attract”); both from Proto-Germanic *draganą (“to draw, drag”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰregʰ- (“to draw, drag”).

    Verb sense influenced due to association with the noun drag (“that which is hauled or dragged”), related to Low German dragge (“a drag-anchor, grapnel”). Cognate with Danish drægge (“to dredge”), Danish drage (“to draw, attract”), Swedish dragga (“to drag, drag anchor, sweep”), Swedish draga (“to draw, go”), Icelandic draga (“to drag, pull”). Doublet of draw.

    Noun

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    drag (countable and uncountable, plural drags)

    Capitol Street, the main drag of Charleston, West Virginia, United States, June 1973
    1. (physics, uncountable) Resistance of a fluid to something moving through it.
      When designing cars, manufacturers have to take drag into consideration.
    2. (by analogy with above) Any force acting in opposition to the motion of an object.
      A high thrust-to-weight ratio helps a rocket to overcome the effects of gravity drag.
    3. (countable) A device dragged along the bottom of a body of water in search of something, e.g. a dead body, or in fishing.
    4. (countable, informal) A systematic search for someone over a wide area, especially by the authorities; a dragnet.
      • 1920 June, The Electrical Experimenter, New York, page 151, column 3:
        "He told me that he was certain that Coates shot at him. We threw out a drag and landed Coates within an hour."
    5. (countable, music) A double drum-stroke played at twice the speed of the context in which it is placed.
    6. (countable, informal) A puff on a cigarette or joint.
      Synonyms: lug, pull
      He got high after just one drag of the joint.
      Give me a drag on that roach!
    7. (countable, slang) Someone or something that is annoying or frustrating, or disappointing; an obstacle to progress or enjoyment.
      Travelling to work in the rush hour is a real drag.
      • December 24, 1865, James David Forbes, letter to Dr. Symonds
        My lectures […] were only a pleasure to me, and no drag.
      • 1965, Bob Dylan, “Positively 4th Street”:
        Yes, I wish that for just one time / You could stand inside my shoes / You'd know what a drag it is / To see you
    8. (countable, slang) A long open horse-drawn carriage with transverse or side seats. [from mid-18th c.]
    9. (countable, slang) A street. [from mid-19th c.]
      the main drag
      a back drag
    10. (countable) The scent-path left by dragging a fox, or some other substance such as aniseed, for training hounds to follow scents.
      to run a drag
    11. (uncountable, snooker) A large amount of backspin on the cue ball, causing the cue ball to slow down.
    12. A heavy harrow for breaking up ground.
    13. A kind of sledge for conveying heavy objects; also, a kind of low car or handcart.
      Near-synonyms: dray, stoneboat
      a stone drag
    15. (countable, foundry) The bottom part of a sand casting mold.
      Coordinate term: cope
    16. (masonry) A steel instrument for completing the dressing of soft stone.
    17. (nautical) The difference between the speed of a screw steamer under sail and that of the screw when the ship outruns the screw; or between the propulsive effects of the different floats of a paddle wheel.
    18. Anything towed in the water to retard a ship's progress, or to keep her head up to the wind; especially, a canvas bag with a hooped mouth (drag sail), so used.
    19. A pulled load.
      • 1959 October, “South of Doncaster”, in Trains Illustrated, page 470, photo caption:
        A northbound drag of furnace coal on the former South Yorkshire Joint Line crosses the East Coast main line near Black Carr behind Class "O4/1" 2-8-0 No. 63693.
    20. A skid or shoe for retarding the motion of a carriage wheel.
      Synonym: skidpan
    21. Motion affected with slowness and difficulty, as if clogged.
    23. (uncountable, music) Witch house music.
      • 2010 March 8, Scott Wright, quoting Heather Marlatt, “Scene and heard: Drag”, in The Guardian‎[1]:
        “Our music is not like some other types where the energy is back and forth – music considered drag is like giving up oneself, to be pulled and controlled,” she says.
      • 2010 September 29, Paul Lester, “New band of the day - No 877: oOoOO”, in The Guardian‎[2]:
        Whatever the appellation, these artists are doing some amazing stuff. Haunted house and drag are probably the most apposite terms because the music sounds like ghostly apparitions of old dance tunes, only at half-speed.
      • 2010 December 2, Paul Lester, “New band of the day – No 922: Balam Acab”, in The Guardian‎[3]:
        They call this music drag because it's like dance music dragged down by the ponderous weight of existence (there's a Balam Acab track called Heavy Living Things); they call it witch house because it haunts you long after you stop listening.
      • 2011 January 24, David Wicik, “Exorcising the Ghost: oOoOO breaks down the buzz about “drag””, in Newcity:
        In your own words, what is drag or witch house music?
    24. The last position in a line of hikers.
      • 1999, Dana Stabenow, Hunter's Moon, →ISBN, page 73:
        Okay, I'll take point, Kate, you take drag.
    25. (billiards) A push somewhat under the centre of the cue ball, causing it to follow the object ball a short way.
    27. A device for guiding wood to the saw.
      Coordinate term: pushstick
    28. (historical) A mailcoach.
    29. (slang) A prison sentence of three months.
      • 1851, Henry Mayhew, London Labour and the London Poor, published 1861:
        The sodger who done it was quodded, but only for a drag, and he swore to God as how he’d do for me the next time as he comed across me.
      • 1869, A Merchant. Editor: Frank Henderson, Six Years in the Prisons of England
        The copper knew I did that job, and had me up on suspicion some time after, and gave me a drag (three months) over it. The next bit I did was a 'sixer' (six months), and I escaped from prison in about three weeks after I got it.
    Derived terms
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    Translations
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    device for dragging along the bottom of a body of water

    Verb

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    drag (third-person singular simple present drags, present participle dragging, simple past and past participle dragged or (dialectal) drug)

    Tamil fishermen dragging their boat
    Fishing by dragging a river
    1. (transitive) To pull along a surface or through a medium, sometimes with difficulty.
      Let's drag this load of wood over to the shed.
      The misbehaving child was dragged out of the classroom.
      • 2007 May, Carlos Lorch, quoting Dale Zelko, “Blast from the Past: Interview with Lt Colonel Dale Zelko, USAF”, in Nighthawks‎[4], volume 5, number 1, archived from the original on 4 March 2016, page 14:
        I knew where I didn't want to land so with some aggressive steering I was able to crab into the wind and land successfully on an open plowed farm field some 50 yards west of the hardball road I had seen, next to what seemed at the time to be a T intersection that led off to the east. Although I landed softly, there was a stiff 15-knot wind so I was getting drug a little bit. On my back I dug my heels in and reached up to pop both canopy releases, but on better thought decided against it, as the parachute would probably blow across the road.
    2. To proceed heavily, laboriously, or slowly; to advance with weary effort; to go on lingeringly.
      Time seems to drag when you're waiting for a bus.
      • 1816, Lord Byron, “Canto III”, in Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage. Canto the Third, London: […] [F]or John Murray, […], →OCLC, stanza XXXII:
        The day drags through, though storms keep out the sun.
      • a. 1732, John Gay, epistle to a Lady
        Long, open panegyric drags at best.
      • 2019 October 31, A. A. Dowd, “Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro reunite for one last gripping crime epic, The Irishman”, in AV Club‎[5], archived from the original on 21 August 2020:
        The Irishman is the director’s longest drama, but it never drags.
    3. To act or proceed slowly or without enthusiasm; to be reluctant.
      • 2013 September-October, James R. Carter, “Flowers and Ribbons of Ice”, in American Scientist:
        Dragging yourself out of a warm bed in the early hours of a wintry morning to go for a hike in the woods: It’s not an easy thing for some to do, but the visual treasures that await could be well worth the effort. If the weather conditions and the local flora are just right, you might come across fleeting, delicate frozen formations sprouting from certain plant stems, literally a garden of ice.
    4. To draw along (something burdensome); hence, to pass in pain or with difficulty.
    5. To serve as a clog or hindrance; to hold back.
      • 1883, William Clark Russell, Sailor’s Language:A collection of Sea-terms and Their Definitions:
        A propeller is said to drag when the sails urge the vessel faster than the revolutions of the screw can propel her.
    6. (graphical user interface) To operate a pointing device by moving it with a button held down; to move, copy, etc. (an item) in this way.
      Drag the file into the window to open it.
    7. (chiefly of a vehicle) To unintentionally rub or scrape on a surface.
      The car was so low to the ground that its muffler was dragging on a speed bump.
    8. (soccer) To hit or kick off target.
      • 2012, David Ornstein, BBC Sport, "Arsenal 5-2 Tottenham" [6], November 17
        Arsenal were struggling for any sort of rhythm and Aaron Lennon dragged an effort inches wide as Tottenham pressed for a second.
    9. To fish with a dragnet.
    11. To search for something, as a lost object or body, by dragging something along the bottom of a body of water.
    12. To break (land) by drawing a drag or harrow over it; to harrow.
      Synonym: harrow
    13. (figurative) To search exhaustively, as if with a dragnet.
    14. (slang) To roast, say negative things about, or call attention to the flaws of (someone).
      Synonyms: criticize; see also Thesaurus:criticize
      You just drag him 'cause he's got more money than you.
    15. (intransitive, music) To play at a slower tempo than one is supposed to or than the other musicians one is playing with, or to inadvertently gradually decrease tempo while one is playing.
      Antonym: rush
    16. (informal, intransitive) To inhale from a cigarette, cigar, etc.
    17. (Australia, slang, transitive) To drag something on.
      Mate, you're just dragging it now.
    Derived terms
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    Translations
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    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
    Translations to be checked

    Adjective

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    drag (comparative more drag, superlative most drag)

    1. (Australia, slang) Dragged on; unnecessary or superfluous, especially for an already settled issue; too much.
      Wallah, the task is so drag.

    See also

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    • (call attention to the flaws of): read

    Etymology 2

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    Etymology tree
    Proto-Indo-European *dʰregʰ-
    Proto-Indo-European *dʰrógʰ-e-ti
    Proto-Germanic *draganą
    Proto-West Germanic *dragan
    Old English dragan
    Middle English dragen
    Middle English draggen
    Low German draggeinflu.
    English drag?
    ▲
    Proto-West Germanic *dragan
    Old High German tragan
    Middle High German tragen
    Yiddish טראָגן (trogn)?
    English drag

      Possibly from English drag (“to pull along a surface”) because of the sensation of long skirts trailing on the floor, or from Yiddish טראָגן (trogn, “to wear”)[1]

      Conchita Wurst in drag during the Eurovision Song Contest 2014

      Noun

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      drag (usually uncountable, plural drags)

      1. A performance art form associated with the LGBTQ+ community, that features a stylized and exaggerated portrayal of femininity or, at times, masculinity, often playing with gender stereotypes.[2]
      3. Clothing, accessories, and makeup used in this art form, especially:
        2. (uncountable, slang) Women's clothing, accessories, and makeup worn by men for the purpose of entertainment. [from late 19th c.]
          He performed in drag.
          • 1870 May 30, “The Men in Women's Clothes”, in The Times, →ISSN, page 13:
            I know what "in drag" means; it is the slang for going about in women's clothes.
          • 1968, Quentin Crisp, The Naked Civil Servant, London: Cape, →OCLC, page 82:
            With the aid of informers they discovered where the great drag dances were being held and turned their attention thither. [...] They couldn't, of course, be advertised, but no publicity was needed. The network always managed to reach any one who might want to go and had half-a-crown to spare for a ticket. About three-quarters of the men who attended these dances were in drag.
        3. (uncountable, slang, by analogy) Men's clothing, accessories, and makeup worn by women for the purpose of entertainment.
      4. (countable, slang) A men's party attended in women's clothing. [from early 20th c.]
        • 1927, Aaron J. Rosanoff, “Sexual Psychopaths”, in Manual of Psychiatry, 6th edition, New York: John Wiley & Sons Inc., →OCLC, page 203:
          A heterosexual person cannot really break into their [homosexuals'] inner circles. They have parties or "drags" to which only homosexuals are admitted, and at these some generally appear in female dress.
        • 1942, Mary McCarthy, The Company She Keeps, New York: Harcourt Brace and World, →OCLC, page 104:
          This freedom of speech of hers was a kind of masquerade of sexuality, like the rubber breasts homosexuals put on for drags, [...]
      5. (countable, slang) A drag king or drag queen.
        • 1970-1975, Lou Sullivan, personal diary, quoted in 2019, Ellis Martin, Zach Ozma (editors), We Both Laughed In Pleasure
          That Mich drag Loretta sent me about 10 pictures of her so I wouldn't think her a "decrepit old lady." But too bad—she looked like someone's biddy aunt.
        • 1978 April 8, Robert Haule, “Lge Room in San Francisco (classified advertisement)”, in Gay Community News, page 14:
          To sublet in comfy fag hsehold for Jun, July, Aug. […] Drags & Dykes welcome.
      6. (uncountable, slang) Any type of clothing or costume associated with a particular occupation or subculture.
        corporate drag
        • 1978 April 1, Eric Rogers, “The Macho Madness of the Village People”, in Gay Community News, page 11:
          As the album soared to the top of the charts, straight discos picked up on it. […] The Village People performed at 2001, the same disco that provides setting for much of Saturday Night Fever. Dressed in butch gay drag, the men in the group couldn't keep the women away.
      Derived terms
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      Translations
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      Verb

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      drag (third-person singular simple present drags, present participle dragging, simple past and past participle dragged)

      1. (informal, intransitive) To perform as a drag queen or drag king.

      Etymology 3

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        Noun

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        drag (plural drags)

        2. (informal, uncommon) Clipping of dragon.
          • 1997 February 4, Rayn, “gryphons or dragons?”, in alt.games.warcraft‎[7] (Usenet), archived from the original on 5 December 2025:
            the dragon gets a first shot off! although, afterwards, they attack at same speed, but trust me, drags attack first. Rayn ps. I'd rather gryphs than drags.
          • 1997 February 7, Walter Freeman, “Mirage only decks”, in rec.games.trading-cards.magic.strategy‎[8] (Usenet), archived from the original on 5 December 2025:
            > 2 catacomb dragons
            > 3 volcanic dragons
            Lose 3 of the drags: 5 is too many
          • 2000 July 5, Andy W, “[Z251] YACD: a distraction from the stoked embers”, in rec.games.roguelike.angband‎[9] (Usenet), archived from the original on 5 December 2025:
            Barring the +1 Con this would seem to be pretty good for going up against the drags.....
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        References

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        1. ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2026), “drag”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
        2. ^ “drag”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.

        Anagrams

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        French

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        Pronunciation

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        Noun

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        drag m (plural drags)

        1. drag queen

        Further reading

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        Norwegian Nynorsk

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        Etymology

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        From Old Norse drag, related to dra (“to pull, drag”).

        Pronunciation

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        Noun

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        drag n (definite singular draget, indefinite plural drag, definite plural draga)

        1. a pull, drag (the act of pulling, dragging)
          Han tok eit drag av sigaretten.
          He took a drag from his cigarette.
        2. hang (capability)
          Eg tek til å få draget på dette.
          I am starting to get the hang of this.
        3. feature (e.g. facial features)

        Derived terms

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        References

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        • “drag” in The Bokmål Dictionary / The Nynorsk Dictionary.

        Polish

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        Etymology

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          Borrowed from English drug.

          Pronunciation

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          Noun

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          drag m inan

          1. (slang) drug, recreational drug
            Synonym: narkotyk

          Declension

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          Declension of drag
          singular plural
          nominative drag dragi
          genitive dragu/draga dragów
          dative dragowi dragom
          accusative draga dragi
          instrumental dragiem dragami
          locative dragu dragach
          vocative dragu dragi

          Further reading

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          • “drag”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎[10] (in Polish)

          Portuguese

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          Etymology

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            Unadapted borrowing from English drag.

            Pronunciation

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            Noun

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            drag m (invariable)

            1. (uncountable) drag (clothes worn by the opposite sex for entertainment)

            Noun

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            drag m or f by sense (plural drags)

            1. (countable) drag queen, drag king (one who performs drag)
              Synonyms: drag queen, drag king

            Romanian

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            Etymology

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            Borrowed from Old Church Slavonic драгъ (dragŭ), from Proto-Slavic *dorgъ. Bulgarian драг (drag).

            Pronunciation

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            Adjective

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            drag m or n (feminine singular dragă, plural dragi)

            1. dear

            Usage notes

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            This word can be used as a term of address, in the same way as "dear", "honey", and "sweetie" are used in English.

            Declension

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            Declension of drag
            singular plural
            masculine neuter feminine masculine neuter feminine
            nominative-
            accusative             		indefinite drag dragă dragi drage
            definite dragul draga dragii dragele
            genitive-
            dative             		indefinite drag drage dragi drage
            definite dragului dragei dragilor dragelor

            Derived terms

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            Serbo-Croatian

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            Etymology

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            Inherited from Proto-Slavic *dorgъ, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *dargás.

            Pronunciation

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            Adjective

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            drȃg (Cyrillic spelling дра̑г, definite drȃgī, comparative drȁžī)

            1. dear

            Declension

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            positive indefinite forms
            singular masculine feminine neuter
            nominative drag draga drago
            genitive draga drage draga
            dative dragu dragoj dragu
            accusative inanimate
            animate             		drag
            draga                         		dragu drago
            vocative drag draga drago
            locative dragu dragoj dragu
            instrumental dragim dragom dragim
            plural masculine feminine neuter
            nominative dragi drage draga
            genitive dragih dragih dragih
            dative dragim(a) dragim(a) dragim(a)
            accusative drage drage draga
            vocative dragi drage draga
            locative dragim(a) dragim(a) dragim(a)
            instrumental dragim(a) dragim(a) dragim(a)
            positive definite forms
            singular masculine feminine neuter
            nominative dragi draga drago
            genitive dragog(a) drage dragog(a)
            dative dragom(u/e) dragoj dragom(u/e)
            accusative inanimate
            animate             		dragi
            dragog(a)                         		dragu drago
            vocative dragi draga drago
            locative dragom(e/u) dragoj dragom(e/u)
            instrumental dragim dragom dragim
            plural masculine feminine neuter
            nominative dragi drage draga
            genitive dragih dragih dragih
            dative dragim(a) dragim(a) dragim(a)
            accusative drage drage draga
            vocative dragi drage draga
            locative dragim(a) dragim(a) dragim(a)
            instrumental dragim(a) dragim(a) dragim(a)
            comparative forms
            singular masculine feminine neuter
            nominative draži draža draže
            genitive dražeg(a) draže dražeg(a)
            dative dražem(u) dražoj dražem(u)
            accusative inanimate
            animate             		draži
            dražeg(a)                         		dražu draže
            vocative draži draža draže
            locative dražem(u) dražoj dražem(u)
            instrumental dražim dražom dražim
            plural masculine feminine neuter
            nominative draži draže draža
            genitive dražih dražih dražih
            dative dražim(a) dražim(a) dražim(a)
            accusative draže draže draža
            vocative draži draže draža
            locative dražim(a) dražim(a) dražim(a)
            instrumental dražim(a) dražim(a) dražim(a)
            superlative forms
            singular masculine feminine neuter
            nominative najdraži najdraža najdraže
            genitive najdražeg(a) najdraže najdražeg(a)
            dative najdražem(u) najdražoj najdražem(u)
            accusative inanimate
            animate             		najdraži
            najdražeg(a)                         		najdražu najdraže
            vocative najdraži najdraža najdraže
            locative najdražem(u) najdražoj najdražem(u)
            instrumental najdražim najdražom najdražim
            plural masculine feminine neuter
            nominative najdraži najdraže najdraža
            genitive najdražih najdražih najdražih
            dative najdražim(a) najdražim(a) najdražim(a)
            accusative najdraže najdraže najdraža
            vocative najdraži najdraže najdraža
            locative najdražim(a) najdražim(a) najdražim(a)
            instrumental najdražim(a) najdražim(a) najdražim(a)
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            Slovene

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            Etymology

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            From Proto-Slavic *dorgъ, from Proto-Balto-Slavic *dargás.

            Pronunciation

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            Adjective

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            drȃg (comparative drȃžji, superlative nȁjdrȃžji)

            1. dear (loved; lovable)
            2. expensive

            Declension

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            Unknown tone or non-tonal
            		 The diacritics used in this section of the entry are non-tonal. If you are a native tonal speaker, please help by adding the tonal marks.
            Hard
            masculine feminine neuter
            nom. sing. drág drága drágo
            singular
            masculine feminine neuter
            nominative drág ind
            drági def             		drága drágo
            genitive drágega dráge drágega
            dative drágemu drági drágemu
            accusative nominativeinan or
            genitive            anim             		drágo drágo
            locative drágem drági drágem
            instrumental drágim drágo drágim
            dual
            masculine feminine neuter
            nominative drága drági drági
            genitive drágih drágih drágih
            dative drágima drágima drágima
            accusative drága drági drági
            locative drágih drágih drágih
            instrumental drágima drágima drágima
            plural
            masculine feminine neuter
            nominative drági dráge drága
            genitive drágih drágih drágih
            dative drágim drágim drágim
            accusative dráge dráge drága
            locative drágih drágih drágih
            instrumental drágimi drágimi drágimi

            This adjective needs an inflection-table template.

            Further reading

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            • “drag”, in Slovarji Inštituta za slovenski jezik Frana Ramovša ZRC SAZU (in Slovene), 2014–2026

            Spanish

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            Pronunciation

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            • IPA(key): /ˈdɾaɡ/ [ˈd̪ɾaɣ̞]
            • Rhymes: -aɡ
            • Syllabification: drag

            Noun

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            drag m (plural drags)

            1. drag (entertainment form)

            Swedish

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            Etymology

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            From Old Swedish dragh, from Old Norse drag, related to the verb draga (“to pull, draw”).

            Pronunciation

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            Noun

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            drag n

            1. feature, trait, characteristic
            2. lure, trolling spoon
            3. (chess) move
            4. (figuratively) move
              Vem vet vad hans nästa drag blir
              Who knows what his next move will be
            5. draft, draught (current of (usually outside) air through the interior of something, for example in the flue of a fireplace, stove, or similar)
            6. (colloquial) intensity, power, as a positive attribute (of for example music, parties, or vehicles)
              Synonyms: (intensity) röj, (intensity) ös

            Declension

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            Declension of drag
            nominative genitive
            singular indefinite drag drags
            definite draget dragets
            plural indefinite drag drags
            definite dragen dragens

            Derived terms

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            See also

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            Verb

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            drag

            1. imperative of draga

            References

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            Anagrams

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            Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=drag&oldid=91744986"