"ragtime" meaning in English

See ragtime in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /ˈɹæɡˌtaɪm/ [General-American] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-ragtime.wav Forms: ragtimes [plural], rag-time [alternative]
Etymology: Likely from ragged + time, in reference to its heavy use of syncopation, or from rag, an American dialectal term for a dance ball. Etymology templates: {{compound|en|ragged|time}} ragged + time Head templates: {{en-noun|~}} ragtime (countable and uncountable, plural ragtimes)
  1. (music, uncountable) A musical form having a rhythm characterized by strong syncopation in the melody with a regularly accented accompaniment. Tags: uncountable
    Sense id: en-ragtime-en-noun-Nv1betHs Categories (other): Musical genres, English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 3 entries, Pages with entries, Terms with Esperanto translations, Terms with Japanese translations, Terms with Mandarin translations, Terms with Polish translations, Terms with Russian translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 45 45 10 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 45 37 17 Disambiguation of Pages with 3 entries: 24 26 6 17 27 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 23 26 4 18 30 Disambiguation of Terms with Esperanto translations: 47 45 8 Disambiguation of Terms with Japanese translations: 50 41 8 Disambiguation of Terms with Mandarin translations: 51 40 9 Disambiguation of Terms with Polish translations: 39 41 20 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 50 41 8 Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music
  2. (music, countable) A piece of music in this style. Tags: countable
    Sense id: en-ragtime-en-noun-bKa~KiHd Categories (other): Music, English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 3 entries, Pages with entries, Terms with Esperanto translations, Terms with Japanese translations, Terms with Polish translations, Terms with Russian translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 45 45 10 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 45 37 17 Disambiguation of Pages with 3 entries: 24 26 6 17 27 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 23 26 4 18 30 Disambiguation of Terms with Esperanto translations: 47 45 8 Disambiguation of Terms with Japanese translations: 50 41 8 Disambiguation of Terms with Polish translations: 39 41 20 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 50 41 8 Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: ragtimelike, ragtimer, ragtimey, ragtiming, ragtimy

Verb

IPA: /ˈɹæɡˌtaɪm/ [General-American] Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-ragtime.wav Forms: ragtimes [present, singular, third-person], ragtiming [participle, present], ragtimed [participle, past], ragtimed [past], rag-time [alternative]
Etymology: Likely from ragged + time, in reference to its heavy use of syncopation, or from rag, an American dialectal term for a dance ball. Etymology templates: {{compound|en|ragged|time}} ragged + time Head templates: {{en-verb}} ragtime (third-person singular simple present ragtimes, present participle ragtiming, simple past and past participle ragtimed)
  1. (ambitransitive, uncommon) To perform this style of music. Tags: ambitransitive, uncommon Translations (music genre): 拉格泰姆 (lāgétàimǔ) (Chinese Mandarin), 散拍 (sǎnpāi) (Chinese Mandarin), ragtimo (Esperanto), ラグタイム (ragutaimu) (Japanese), ragtime [masculine] (Polish), рэгта́йм (rɛgtájm) [masculine] (Russian)
    Sense id: en-ragtime-en-verb-0KU3ClMT Categories (other): Entries with translation boxes, Terms with Polish translations Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 45 37 17 Disambiguation of Terms with Polish translations: 39 41 20

Inflected forms

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  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "ragtimelike"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "ragtimer"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "ragtimey"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "ragtiming"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "ragtimy"
    }
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  ],
  "etymology_text": "Likely from ragged + time, in reference to its heavy use of syncopation, or from rag, an American dialectal term for a dance ball.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "ragtimes",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
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    },
    {
      "form": "rag-time",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
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  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Musical genres",
          "orig": "en:Musical genres",
          "parents": [],
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          "_dis": "50 41 8",
          "kind": "other",
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        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A musical form having a rhythm characterized by strong syncopation in the melody with a regularly accented accompaniment."
      ],
      "id": "en-ragtime-en-noun-Nv1betHs",
      "links": [
        [
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          "music"
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      "raw_glosses": [
        "(music, uncountable) A musical form having a rhythm characterized by strong syncopation in the melody with a regularly accented accompaniment."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "entertainment",
        "lifestyle",
        "music"
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          "_dis": "50 41 8",
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          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
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      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A piece of music in this style."
      ],
      "id": "en-ragtime-en-noun-bKa~KiHd",
      "links": [
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          "music"
        ]
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      "raw_glosses": [
        "(music, countable) A piece of music in this style."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "entertainment",
        "lifestyle",
        "music"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
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      "ipa": "/ˈɹæɡˌtaɪm/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
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      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-ragtime.wav",
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  ],
  "word": "ragtime"
}

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      "name": "compound"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Likely from ragged + time, in reference to its heavy use of syncopation, or from rag, an American dialectal term for a dance ball.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "ragtimes",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
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    },
    {
      "form": "ragtiming",
      "tags": [
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    },
    {
      "form": "ragtimed",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
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    },
    {
      "form": "ragtimed",
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        "past"
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    {
      "form": "rag-time",
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          "kind": "other",
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        "To perform this style of music."
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      "id": "en-ragtime-en-verb-0KU3ClMT",
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      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(ambitransitive, uncommon) To perform this style of music."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "ambitransitive",
        "uncommon"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "lang_code": "cmn",
          "roman": "lāgétàimǔ",
          "sense": "music genre",
          "word": "拉格泰姆"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "lang_code": "cmn",
          "roman": "sǎnpāi",
          "sense": "music genre",
          "word": "散拍"
        },
        {
          "code": "eo",
          "lang": "Esperanto",
          "lang_code": "eo",
          "sense": "music genre",
          "word": "ragtimo"
        },
        {
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "lang_code": "ja",
          "roman": "ragutaimu",
          "sense": "music genre",
          "word": "ラグタイム"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "lang_code": "pl",
          "sense": "music genre",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "ragtime"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "lang_code": "ru",
          "roman": "rɛgtájm",
          "sense": "music genre",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "рэгта́йм"
        }
      ]
    }
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      ]
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      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-ragtime.wav",
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    }
  ],
  "word": "ragtime"
}
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    "English uncountable nouns",
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    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 3 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Esperanto translations",
    "Terms with Japanese translations",
    "Terms with Mandarin translations",
    "Terms with Polish translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "ragtimelike"
    },
    {
      "word": "ragtimer"
    },
    {
      "word": "ragtimey"
    },
    {
      "word": "ragtiming"
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      "word": "ragtimy"
    }
  ],
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  ],
  "etymology_text": "Likely from ragged + time, in reference to its heavy use of syncopation, or from rag, an American dialectal term for a dance ball.",
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      "tags": [
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        "en:Musical genres"
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        "A musical form having a rhythm characterized by strong syncopation in the melody with a regularly accented accompaniment."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "music",
          "music"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(music, uncountable) A musical form having a rhythm characterized by strong syncopation in the melody with a regularly accented accompaniment."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable"
      ],
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        "entertainment",
        "lifestyle",
        "music"
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    },
    {
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        "en:Music"
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      "glosses": [
        "A piece of music in this style."
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      "raw_glosses": [
        "(music, countable) A piece of music in this style."
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      "tags": [
        "countable"
      ],
      "topics": [
        "entertainment",
        "lifestyle",
        "music"
      ]
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  ],
  "etymology_text": "Likely from ragged + time, in reference to its heavy use of syncopation, or from rag, an American dialectal term for a dance ball.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "ragtimes",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
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    },
    {
      "form": "ragtiming",
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        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ragtimed",
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        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "ragtimed",
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        "past"
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      "form": "rag-time",
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      ]
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  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
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      "categories": [
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        "English terms with uncommon senses",
        "English transitive verbs"
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      "glosses": [
        "To perform this style of music."
      ],
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          "perform"
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        "(ambitransitive, uncommon) To perform this style of music."
      ],
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        "ambitransitive",
        "uncommon"
      ]
    }
  ],
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  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "lang_code": "cmn",
      "roman": "lāgétàimǔ",
      "sense": "music genre",
      "word": "拉格泰姆"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "lang_code": "cmn",
      "roman": "sǎnpāi",
      "sense": "music genre",
      "word": "散拍"
    },
    {
      "code": "eo",
      "lang": "Esperanto",
      "lang_code": "eo",
      "sense": "music genre",
      "word": "ragtimo"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "lang_code": "ja",
      "roman": "ragutaimu",
      "sense": "music genre",
      "word": "ラグタイム"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "lang_code": "pl",
      "sense": "music genre",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "ragtime"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "lang_code": "ru",
      "roman": "rɛgtájm",
      "sense": "music genre",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "рэгта́йм"
    }
  ],
  "word": "ragtime"
}

Download raw JSONL data for ragtime meaning in English (5.1kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-02-14 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-02-01 using wiktextract (f492ef9 and 59dc20b). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.