Scragged
/skræɡd/noun
Roughly seized, handled harshly, or (in older slang) hanged.
Did you know?In older English slang, to be “scragged” could mean to be hanged, and the word likely grew from a rough term for the neck or a gaunt, bony person — a grim reminder that words can carry the weight of punishment.
Etymological Timeline
16th Century
English
scrag
“A thin, bony neck; also a gaunt or rough person.”
17th Century
English
scrag
“To seize by the neck; to throttle or hang.”
18th Century
English
scragged
“Past tense/past participle of scrag; hanged or roughly seized.”
Modern English
English
scragged
“Rarely used; chiefly historical or dialectal, meaning roughly seized or hanged.”