Faggot, often shortened to fag, is a usually pejorative term used to refer to gay men.[3][4] In American youth culture around the turn of the 21st century, its meaning extended as a broader reaching insult more related to masculinity and group power structure.[5]

The usage of fag and faggot has spread from the United States to varying extents elsewhere in the English-speaking world (especially the UK) through mass culture, including film, music, and the internet. In British English 'fag' is common slang for 'cigarette', sometimes also used to describe a tedious task