drag

noun

1. (uncountable)Resistance of a fluid to something moving through it.

   “When designing cars, manufacturers have to take drag into consideration.”

2. (countable, uncountable)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.

   “"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)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.

   “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.”

   “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.

   “I’m down here readin’ for my little go during the Long, only I come over from Baymouth pretty often in my drag…”

   “Alcee Arobin and Mrs. Highcamp called for her one bright afternoon in Arobin's drag.”

9. (countable, slang)A street.

   “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)A large amount of backspin on the cue ball, causing the cue ball to slow down.
12. (countable, uncountable)A heavy harrow for breaking up ground.
13. (countable, uncountable)A kind of sledge for conveying heavy objects; also, a kind of low car or handcart.

    “Near-synonyms: dray, stoneboat”

    “a stone drag”

14. (countable)The bottom part of a sand casting mold.
15. (countable, uncountable)A steel instrument for completing the dressing of soft stone.
16. (countable, uncountable)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.
17. (countable, uncountable)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.
18. (countable, uncountable)A pulled load.

    “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.”

19. (countable, uncountable)A skid or shoe for retarding the motion of a carriage wheel.
20. (countable, uncountable)Motion affected with slowness and difficulty, as if clogged.

    “Had a drag in his walk.”

21. (uncountable)Witch house music.

    ““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.”

    “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.”

    “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.”

    “In your own words, what is drag or witch house music?”

22. (countable, uncountable)The last position in a line of hikers.

    “Okay, I'll take point, Kate, you take drag.”

23. (countable, uncountable)A push somewhat under the centre of the cue ball, causing it to follow the object ball a short way.
24. (countable, uncountable)A device for guiding wood to the saw.
25. (countable, historical, uncountable)A mailcoach.
26. (countable, slang, uncountable)A prison sentence of three months.

    “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.”

27. (slang, uncountable, usually)Women's clothing worn by men for the purpose of entertainment.

    “He performed in drag.”

    “I know what "in drag" means; it is the slang for going about in women's clothes.”

    “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.”

28. (slang, uncountable, usually)Women's clothing worn by men for the purpose of entertainment.
29. (countable, slang, usually)A men's party attended in women's clothing.

    “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.”

    “This freedom of speech of hers was a kind of masquerade of sexuality, like the rubber breasts homosexuals put on for drags, [...]”

30. (countable, slang, usually)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.”

    “To sublet in comfy fag hsehold for Jun, July, Aug. […] Drags & Dykes welcome.”

31. (slang, uncountable, usually)Any type of clothing or costume associated with a particular occupation or subculture.

    “corporate drag”

    “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.”

32. (abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, informal, uncommon)Clipping of dragon.

    “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.”

    “> 2 catacomb dragons > 3 volcanic dragons Lose 3 of the drags: 5 is too many”

    “Barring the +1 Con this would seem to be pretty good for going up against the drags.....”

verb

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.”

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.”

   “The day drags through, though storms keep out the sun.”

   “a. 1732, John Gay, epistle to a Lady Long, open panegyric drags at best.”

   “The Irishman is the director’s longest drama, but it never drags.”

3. To act or proceed slowly or without enthusiasm; to be reluctant.

   “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.

   “have dragged a lingering life”

   “You aren't going to be able to carry any more stuff. You're dragging around all that junk.”

5. To serve as a clog or hindrance; to hold back.

   “A propeller is said to drag when the sails urge the vessel faster than the revolutions of the screw can propel her.”

6. 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. 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. To hit or kick off target.

   “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.
10. To search for something, as a lost object or body, by dragging something along the bottom of a body of water.
11. To break (land) by drawing a drag or harrow over it; to harrow.
12. (figuratively)To search exhaustively, as if with a dragnet.

    “while I dragged my brains for such a song”

13. (slang)To roast, say negative things about, or call attention to the flaws of (someone).

    “You just drag him 'cause he's got more money than you.”

14. (intransitive)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.
15. (informal, intransitive)To inhale from a cigarette, cigar, etc.
16. (informal, intransitive)To perform as a drag queen or drag king.