scag

English

Alternative forms

• skag

Etymology

Origin unknown. Compare scat (“heroin; whiskey”), slag (“waste; a prostitute”), skank (“a disreputable woman”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /skæɡ/
• Rhymes: -æɡ

Noun

scag (countable and uncountable, plural scags)

1. (slang, uncountable) Heroin.
2. (slang, countable, derogatory, originally African American Vernacular) A woman of loose morals.
3. (slang, countable, dated, US) A cigarette.
   • 1915, “The Doomsday Butt”, in The Cornhusker, page 458:

     “Then have a skag,” said I. / “’Twill make it seem like happier times, / You liked this brand, I understand.”

   • 1996, Paul Bunker and Keith Barlow, Bunker's War: The World War II Diary of Paul D. Bunker, page 134:

     Awoke when our florescent lights came on and went outside to smoke a few scags before breakfast.

Verb

scag (third-person singular simple present scags, present participle scagging, simple past and past participle scagged)

1. (computing) To destroy the data on a disk, either by corrupting the filesystem or by causing media damage.

   "That last power hit scagged the system disk."

Anagrams

• CAGs, cags

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Irish

Etymology

From Old Norse [Term?].

Verb

scag (present analytic scagann, future analytic scagfaidh, verbal noun scagadh, past participle scagtha)

1. to strain, filter
2. to drain off
3. to refine
4. to sift
5. to derive, spring (from source)

Conjugation

First Conjugation (A)

		singular			plural			relative	autonomous
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative	present	scagaim	scagann tú; scagair†	scagann sé, sí	scagaimid	scagann sibh	scagann siad; scagaid†	a scagann; a scagas	scagtar
	past	scag mé; scagas	scag tú; scagais	scag sé, sí	scagamar; scag muid	scag sibh; scagabhair	scag siad; scagadar	a scag / ar scag*	scagadh
	past habitual	scagainn	scagtá	scagadh sé, sí	scagaimis; scagadh muid	scagadh sibh	scagaidís; scagadh siad	a scagadh / ar scagadh*	scagtaí
	future	scagfaidh mé; scagfad	scagfaidh tú; scagfair†	scagfaidh sé, sí	scagfaimid; scagfaidh muid	scagfaidh sibh	scagfaidh siad; scagfaid†	a scagfaidh; a scagfas	scagfar
conditional		scagfainn	scagfá	scagfadh sé, sí	scagfaimis; scagfadh muid	scagfadh sibh	scagfaidís; scagfadh siad	a scagfadh / ar scagfadh*	scagfaí
subjunctive	present	go scaga mé; go scagad†	go scaga tú; go scagair†	go scaga sé, sí	go scagaimid; go scaga muid	go scaga sibh	go scaga siad; go scagaid†	—	go scagtar
	past	dá scagainn	dá scagtá	dá scagadh sé, sí	dá scagaimis; dá scagadh muid	dá scagadh sibh	dá scagaidís; dá scagadh siad	—	dá scagtaí
imperative		scagaim	scag	scagadh sé, sí	scagaimis	scagaigí; scagaidh†	scagaidís	—	scagtar
verbal noun		scagadh
past participle		scagtha

* Indirect relative
† Archaic or dialect form

Derived terms

Terms derived from scag

• scagach
• scagacht
• scagadh
• scagaire

• scagáit
• scagbhéalach
• scagbheathóir
• scagdhealaigh

• scagfhiaclach
• scaglann
• scagpháipéar
• scagtha

Further reading

• “scacaid” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.
• "scag" in Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.
• Entries containing “scag” in English-Irish Dictionary, An Gúm, 1959, by Tomás de Bhaldraithe.
• Entries containing “scag” in New English-Irish Dictionary by Foras na Gaeilge.