shag

Phalacrocorax aristotelis, the European shagEuropean shag

Meanings

Matted material; rough massed hair, fibres etc.
Coarse shredded tobacco.
A type of rough carpet pile.
Bacon or fat, especially if with some remaining hair or bristles.
A roughly-cut or torn-off piece of bread or cheese.
Several species of sea birds in the family Phalacrocoracidae (cormorant family), especially the common shag or European shag, Phalacrocorax aristotelis, found on European and African coasts.
A swing dance.
An act of sexual intercourse.
A casual sexual partner.
A fundraising dance in honour of a couple engaged to be married.
Friend; mate; buddy.

To make hairy or shaggy; to roughen.
To hang in shaggy clusters.
To shake, wiggle around.
To have sexual intercourse with.
To have sexual intercourse.
To masturbate.
To chase after; especially, to chase after and return (a ball) hit usually out of play.
To perform the dance called the shag.

From Middle English *schagge, from Old English sċeacga, from Proto-Germanic *skaggô, *skaggiją, Proto-Germanic *skag-, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kek-, *(s)keg-. Akin to Old Norse skegg (compare Danish skæg, Norwegian skjegg, Swedish skägg).
Perhaps a derivative of Etymology 1, above, with reference to the bird's shaggy crest.
From Middle English schaggen, a variant of Middle English schoggen, of uncertain origin. Perhaps a byform of Middle English schokken, related to Middle Low German schokken. Alternatively, perhaps ultimately from Proto-Germanic *skakkōną ("to shake"), specifically continuing a post-Proto-Germanic variant *skagg-, where the non-singular stem *skag- caused the analogical replacement of the stem-final voiceless geminate consonants with voiced geminates, which was then leveled throughout the paradigm.
Etymology unknown

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