tag

1 of 5

noun (1)

ˈtag 

plural tags

1

: a loose hanging piece of cloth : tatter

2

: a metal or plastic binding on an end of a shoelace

3

: a piece of hanging or attached material

specifically : a loop, knot, or tassel on a garment

4

a

: a brief quotation used for rhetorical emphasis or sententious effect

b

: a recurrent or characteristic verbal expression

c

: tagline sense 2

5

a

: a cardboard, plastic, or metal marker used for identification or classification

license tags

b

: a descriptive or identifying epithet

c

: something used for identification or location : flag

d

: label sense 1d

e

: price tag

f

: an element of code in a computer document used especially to control format and layout or to establish a hyperlink

g

: hashtag

… nuns shared their daily lives on Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter with the tag #MediaNuns …

—Elizabeth Bruenig

h

: a string of text (such as the symbol @ followed by a person's username) that is used to tag a person or account in a social media post

While it's impossible to prohibit a friend from tagging you, Facebook allows you to review all tags before they appear on your profile.

—Lara Webster

6

: a detached fragmentary piece : bit

7

: a graffito in the form of an identifying name or symbol

tag

2 of 5

verb (1)

tagged; tagging; tags

transitive verb

1

: to provide or mark with or as if with a tag: such as

a

: to supply with an identifying marker or price

was tagged at $4.95

b

: to provide with a name or epithet : label, brand

tagged him a has-been

c

: to put a ticket on (a motor vehicle) for a traffic violation

d

: to deface with a graffito usually in the form of the defacer's nickname

e

: to supply (something, such as a social media post) with a hashtag

Don't forget to submit your photos of Montreal via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram by tagging them with #ThisMtl.

—Montreal Gazette

f

: to mention (another person or account) in a social media post in a way that causes the person or account to be notified of the post

On Facebook, if someone wants to get your attention or make it clear to others that you are somehow connected to a post, they can tag you in it. Your name will be mentioned in the post or with the photo, and everyone else who sees it will also know that you are mentioned.

—Dave Johnson

Knowing how to tag someone on Facebook means also knowing how to tag someone on Twitter and Instagram. Simply use the @ symbol to start a tag.

—ThriveHive.com

My friends went back and tagged me in all the photos I'd missed …

—Rachel Kraus

Instagram allows users to reshare posts they've been tagged in to their own Story.

—Devon Delfino

2

: to attach as an addition : append

3

: to follow closely and persistently

4

: to hold to account

especially : to charge with violating the law

was tagged for … assault

—Burt Woolis

5

: label sense 2

intransitive verb

: to keep close

tagging at their heels

—Corey Ford

tag

3 of 5

noun (2)

1

: a game in which the player who is it chases others and tries to touch one of them who then becomes it

2

: an act or instance of tagging a runner in baseball

tag

4 of 5

verb (2)

tagged; tagging

transitive verb

1

a

: to touch in or as if in a game of tag

b

: to put out (a runner) in baseball by a touch with the ball or the gloved hand containing the ball

2

: to hit solidly

3

: to choose usually for a special purpose : select

4

: to make a hit or run off (a pitcher) in baseball

the batter tagged him for a home run

TAG

5 of 5

abbreviation

the adjutant general

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• label
• marker
• ticket

Verb (1)

• label
• mark
• ticket

Verb (2)

• bang
• bash
• bat
• belt
• biff
• bludgeon
• bob
• bonk
• bop
• box
• bust
• clap
• clip
• clobber
• clock
• clout
• crack
• hammer
• hit
• knock
• nail
• paste
• pound
• punch
• rap
• slam
• slap
• slog
• slug
• smack
• smite
• sock
• strike
• swat
• swipe
• thump
• thwack
• wallop
• whack
• whale
• zap

Examples of tag in a Sentence

Noun (1)

read the tag on the shirt to find out if I could wash it or if it had to be dry-cleaned

Verb (1)

tagged all the dresses with sale stickers before putting them on the rack

wildlife experts surreptitiously tagged the timber wolf, carefully keeping a safe distance so the wolf wouldn't catch their scent and run

Verb (2)

he tagged me with a right hook and blackened my eye

she tagged her most experienced operative for the special mission

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

According to Shams Charania of ESPN, Sacramento removed the interim tag, agreeing to a multi-year contract. —Bobby Krivitsky, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025

As a specific example, Counsell referenced the heads-up, game-ending tag that Swanson executed at third base to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks last month. —Patrick Mooney, New York Times, 29 Apr. 2025

Verb

Evan Phillips then finished off that inning, before Tanner Scott got his eighth save of the season in the ninth — the game ending when Rangers baserunner Wyatt Langford was tagged out by second baseman Miguel Rojas after popping off the bag on a bang-bang play while trying to steal a base. —Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2025

Shelton’s face was blocked in the snap by his green baseball cap, but he was tagged. —Raven Brunner, People.com, 20 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English tagge; akin to Middle Low German tagge, tacke twig, spike

Noun (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

1627, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

1738, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1878, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing tag

• carries a hefty price tag
• dog tag
• hefty price tag
• name tag
• phone tag
• price tag
• put a price tag on
• radio-tag
• skin tag
• tag along
• tag end
• tag question
• tag, rag, and bobtail
• tag sale
• tag team
• tag up
• telephone tag

Rhymes for tag

• ag
• bag
• brag
• dag
• drag
• flag
• gag
• hag
• hagg
• lag
• mag
• nag

Kids Definition

tag

1 of 4 noun

ˈtag 

1

: a loose hanging piece of cloth : tatter

2

: a metal or plastic binding on an end of a shoelace

3

: tag line

4

a

: something (as a marker) used for identification

specifically : hangtag

b

: a part of a computer file that controls the format or layout of a document or that indicates a hyperlink (as "〈it〉" to indicate italic type)

tag

2 of 4 verb

tagged; tagging

1

: to provide or mark with or as if with a tag

2

: to follow closely and continuously

3

: label entry 2 sense 3

tag

3 of 4 noun

1

: a game in which one player who is it chases the others and tries to touch one of them to make that person it

2

: an act or instance of tagging a runner in baseball

tag

4 of 4 verb

tagged; tagging

1

: to touch in a game of tag

2

: to put out (a runner) in baseball by touching with the ball or with the gloved hand holding the ball

Etymology

Noun

Middle English tagge "a hanging piece of loose cloth"; of Germanic origin

Noun

origin unknown

Medical Definition

tag

1 of 2 noun

ˈtag 

1

a

: a shred of flesh or muscle

b

: a small abnormal projecting piece of tissue especially when potentially or actually neoplastic in character

2

: label

tag

2 of 2 transitive verb

tagged; tagging

: label

tagged antibodies