jag

¹ American  

[jag] / dʒæg /

noun

1. a sharp projection on an edge or surface.

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verb (used with object)

jagged, jagging

1. to cut or slash, especially in points or pendants along the edge; form notches, teeth, or ragged points in.

verb (used without object)

jagged, jagging

1. to move with a jerk; jog.

jag ² American  

[jag] / dʒæg /

noun

1. a period of unrestrained indulgence in an activity; spree; binge.

   a crying jag; a talking jag.

2. a state of intoxication from liquor.

3. Northern, North Midland, and Western U.S. a load, as of hay or wood.

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J.A.G. ³ American  

Or JAG

abbreviation

1. Judge Advocate General.

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jag ¹ British  

/ dʒæɡ /

verb

1. (tr) to cut unevenly; make jagged

2. to catch (fish) by impaling them on an unbaited hook

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noun

1. an informal word for jab jab

noun

1. a jagged notch or projection

jag ² British  

/ dʒæɡ /

noun

1. 1. intoxication from drugs or alcohol

   2. a bout of drinking or drug taking

2. a period of uncontrolled activity

   a crying jag

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Jag ³ British  

/ dʒæɡ /

noun

1. informal a Jaguar car: often understood as a symbol of affluence

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JAG ⁴ British  

abbreviation

1. Judge Advocate General

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Other Word Forms

• jagless adjective

Etymology

Origin of jag¹

1350–1400; late Middle English jagge (noun), jaggen (v.), of obscure origin

Origin of jag²

1590–1600; perhaps originally load of broom or furze (compare Old English ceacga broom, furze)

Explanation

A jag is a sharp area that protrudes from a surface, a pointed bump or knob. The walls of a cave, rather than being smooth, might be lined with rocky jags. You'll encounter jags when you're mountain climbing or walking along the rocky coast. To "be on a jag" or "go on a jag" means to be completely unrestrained, whether you're on a drinking jag or a crying jag. This second meaning is of U.S. origin, first meaning "a load of hay or wood," and later "as much drink as a man can hold," in the 17th century. By the 1880s, it was "a period of unrestrained activity."

Example Sentences

What Cronenberg has done instead is to concoct a hallucinatory jag about the tortuous process Burroughs went through in creating “Naked Lunch.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 27, 2023

Here’s another one for the “Kendall can’t stand to see his family get bullied” file: When Mencken makes fun of Roman’s crying jag, Kendall immediately shuts that joke down.

From New York Times • May 21, 2023

For a moment, I wondered whether there might be some new subtlety in nuclear-deterrence strategy, or some strange jag in Russian military thinking, that might rebut my conclusion.

From Slate • Mar. 27, 2023

Could we interrupt this hideous jag we’re on?

From Seattle Times • Jan. 25, 2023

I wasn’t in the mood to go on a real crying jag.

From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer