noun

dag

noun

A ragged, pointed strip hanging from the edge of a piece of clothing, or a clump of matted wool and dirt on a sheep.

"The farmer clipped the dags from around the sheep's hindquarters before shearing."

(Australian/New Zealand, informal) An unfashionable, awkward, or eccentric person, often used with affection.

"He called himself a bit of a dag, always wearing socks with sandals."

"She's a real dag, but everyone loves her for it."

verb

To trim the dirty, matted wool from a sheep.

"They spent the morning dagging the ewes before summer."

How to Use Dag

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishMostly heard in Australian/New Zealand slang for a goofy, unfashionable person, though its original farming sense (matted sheep's wool) is still used too.

When to use it

The person sense is informal and largely confined to Australian and New Zealand English.

Word Forms

dagged past tense, dagged past tense, dagged past tense, dags plural, dags plural, dags plural, dags plural, dags plural, dags singular, dags singular, dags singular

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “dag” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

The farmer clipped the _____ from around the sheep's hindquarters before shearing.

Etymology

From Middle English dagge, of likely Germanic origin, originally referring to a hanging shred of cloth.

Synonyms

View more →

daglock taglock dagging dung tag dirtball scruffbag slob

Related Words

slob

People Also Searched

daglock taglock dagging dung tag dirtball scruffbag slob