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
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
Drag, n. Etym: [See Drag, v. t., and cf. Dray a cart, and 1st
Dredge.]