Part 514

Drafts"man (?), n. See Draughtsman.

Drag (?), n. [See 3d Dredge.] A confection; a comfit; a drug. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Drag, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Dragged (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Dragging (?).] [OE. draggen; akin to Sw. dragga to search with a grapnel, fr. dragg grapnel, fr. draga to draw, the same word as E. draw. &?; See Draw.] 1. To draw slowly or heavily onward; to pull along the ground by main force; to haul; to trail; -- applied to drawing heavy or resisting bodies or those inapt for drawing, with labor, along the ground or other surface; as, to drag stone or timber; to drag a net in fishing.

Dragged by the cords which through his feet were thrust.

Denham.

The grossness of his nature will have weight to drag thee down.

Tennyson.

A needless Alexandrine ends the song That, like a wounded snake, drags its slow length along.

Pope.

2. To break, as land, by drawing a drag or harrow over it; to harrow; to draw a drag along the bottom of, as a stream or other water; hence, to search, as by means of a drag.

Then while I dragged my brains for such a song.

Tennyson.

3. To draw along, as something burdensome; hence, to pass in pain or with difficulty.

Have dragged a lingering life.

Dryden.

To drag an anchor (Naut.), to trail it along the bottom when the anchor will not hold the ship.

Syn. -- See Draw.

Drag, v. i. 1. To be drawn along, as a rope or dress, on the ground; to trail; to be moved onward along the ground, or along the bottom of the sea, as an anchor that does not hold.

2. To move onward heavily, laboriously, or slowly; to advance with weary effort; to go on lingeringly.

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

Byron.

Long, open panegyric drags at best.

Gay.

3. 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.

Russell.

4. To fish with a dragnet.

Drag, n. [See Drag, v. t., and cf. Dray a cart, and 1st Dredge.] 1. The act of dragging; anything which is dragged.