- [countable, uncountable]
a piece of old, often torn, cloth used especially for cleaning things 抹布；破布 I wiped the window with a damp rag. 我用湿抹布擦窗户。 Use a piece of old rag. 用一块旧抹布。
Extra ExamplesTopics Clothes and Fashionc1He wiped his hands on an oily rag. 他在油腻的抹布上擦了擦手。 The gun was wrapped in a dirty rag. 枪用一块脏布包着。 You can wipe the stains off with a rag. 你可以用抹布把这些污迹擦掉。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- clean
- dirty
- filthy
- …
- bundle
- heap
- pile
- …
- be dressed in
- wear
- be wrapped in
- …
- on a/the rag
- with a rag
- [countable] (informal, usually disapproving)
a newspaper that you believe to be of low quality 质量低劣的报纸；小报 the local rag 地方小报 I don't know how you can bear to read that awful rag! 我不知道你怎么能忍受读那篇糟糕的文章！
- [countable]
a piece of ragtime music 雷格泰姆乐曲 - [uncountable, countable] (British English)
an event or a series of events organized by students each year to raise money for charity （学生每年组织的）慈善募捐活动 rag week 学生募捐周
Word Originnoun senses 1 to 2 Middle English: probably a back-formation from ragged or raggy ‘ragged’. noun sense 4 mid 18th cent.: of unknown origin. noun sense 3 late 19th cent.: perhaps from ragged; compare with ragtime.
Idioms
in rags
wearing very old torn clothes 衣衫褴褛；穿得破旧 The children were dressed in rags. 孩子们穿着破衣烂衫。 I saw people dressed in rags begging on the street. 我看见衣衫褴褛的人在街上乞讨。
lose your rag
- (British English, informal)
to get angry 发怒；生气
(from) rags to riches
a red rag to a bull (British English)
(US English like waving a red flag in front of a bull)
something that is likely to make somebody very angry 斗牛的红布；激起人怒火的事物