fag

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Pronunciation 1.2 Etymology 1 1.2.1 Noun 1.2.1.1 Synonyms 1.2.1.2 Translations 1.3 Etymology 2 1.3.1 Noun 1.3.2 Verb 1.4 Etymology 3 1.4.1 Noun 1.4.1.1 Synonyms 1.4.1.2 Translations 2 Danish 2.1 Etymology 2.2 Noun 2.2.1 Inflection 3 Norwegian 3.1 Noun 4 Polish 4.1 Noun 5 Romanian 5.1 Noun

English

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -æɡ

Etymology 1

Probably from fag end (“‘remnant’”), from Middle English fagge

Noun

fag (plural fags)

1. (US, technical) In textile inspections, a rough or coarse defect in the woven fabric.
2. (US, technical) A photovoltaic cell cell that is no longer in use.
3. (British and Australian, slang) A cigarette.
   • 2001, Oliver Sacks, Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood, Alfred A. Knopf (2001), 15,

     All of them, like my mother, were heavy smokers, and after warming themselves by the fire, they would sit on the sofa and smoke, lobbing their web fag ends into the fire.

Synonyms

• (cigarette): ciggy (Australia), smoke

Translations

Etymology 2

Probably alteration of flag (“‘droop, tire’”)

Noun

fag (plural fags)

1. (British, slang) A chore; an arduous and tiresome task.
2. (British, archaic) Term used in UK public schools for a younger student acting as a servant for senior students.

Verb

to fag (third-person singular simple present fags, present participle fagging, simple past and past participle fagged)

1. (transitive, slang, used mainly in passive form) To make exhausted, tired out.
2. (intransitive) To droop; to tire.
3. (British, archaic) For a younger student to act as a servant for senior students in UK public schools.

Etymology 3

From faggot

Noun

fag (plural fags)

1. (US, British, Australian, slang, pejorative) A male homosexual.
   • 2003, Dan Kapelovitz, Fred Phelps Hates Fags: Straight Talk With God's Favorite Homophobe (in Hustler magazine, September 2003) [1]

     Some guy picked me up and put his hand on my knee and said something like, "How about it, fellah?" I didn't know what in the world he was talking about, but I said, "Let me out now." Looking back, he probably was a fag. I didn't like his looks, his demeanor or any such thing. But fags do that—pick up on young guys they meet on the highway.

   Note: Sometimes used jocularly between homosexuals.

2. (US, slang, pejorative) An annoying person.

   Why did you do that, you fag?

Synonyms

• (male homosexual): faggot
• (annoying person): asshole, faggot, jerk

Translations

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Danish

Etymology

From German Fach (“‘compartment, drawer, subject’”), from Old High German fah (“‘wall’”).

Noun

fag n. (singular definite faget, plural indefinite fag)

1. subject
2. trade, craft, profession
3. bay

Inflection

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Norwegian

Noun

fag

1. subject (school)

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Polish

Noun

fag m.

1. phage

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Romanian

Noun

fag

1. beech (tree of Fagus family)