Pieces of old, torn, or worn cloth, often used for cleaning or making other items.
From Old Norse 'rögg' meaning shagginess or roughness. The word traveled through Scandinavian languages into Middle English, gradually taking on the meaning of torn cloth scraps.
Rags are such humble fabric scraps that they have their own musical genre—'rag' music like Scott Joplin's rags were named because they had a 'ragged' or syncopated rhythm!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.