fag

1 of 6

verb (1)

ˈfag 

fagged; fagging

intransitive verb

: to work hard : toil

transitive verb

: to tire by strenuous activity : exhaust

fagged by the strenuous climb

fag

2 of 6

noun (1)

1

chiefly British : toil, drudgery

it is such a fag; I came back tired to death

—Jane Austen

2

: drudge sense 1

fag

3 of 6

noun (2)

: an English public-school boy who acts as servant to an older schoolmate

fag

4 of 6

verb (2)

fagged; fagging; fags

intransitive verb

: to serve as a fag (see fag entry 3) especially in an English public school

fagging for older boys during his first year

fag

5 of 6

noun (3)

: cigarette

fag

6 of 6

noun (4)

plural fags

offensive

: a gay person

—used as a term of abuse and disparagement

faggy

ˈfa-gē 

adjective offensive

Synonyms

Verb (1)

• bang away
• beaver (away)
• dig (away)
• drudge
• endeavor
• grub
• hump
• hustle
• labor
• moil
• peg (away)
• plod
• plow
• plug
• slave
• slog
• strain
• strive
• struggle
• sweat
• toil
• travail
• tug
• work

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1) and Noun (1)

perhaps from obsolete fag to droop, from fag fag end

Noun (2) and Verb (2)

probably short for faggot

Noun (3)

fag end

Noun (4)

see faggot

First Known Use

Verb (1)

1772, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun (1)

1770, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun (2)

1785, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1806, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

circa 1888, in the meaning defined above

Noun (4)

1921, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

fag

1 of 3 verb

ˈfag 

fagged; fagging

1

: to work hard : toil

2

: to act as a fag in an English public school

3

: to tire by hard work

fag

2 of 3 noun

1

: an English public-school boy who acts as a servant to another

2

: domestic entry 2, drudge entry 2

fag

3 of 3 noun

: cigarette

Etymology

Verb

from obsolete fag "to droop"

Noun

from fag end