rug
noun
a thick fabric for covering part of a floor, often woven of wool and often having an oblong shape with a border design.
rug
American
[ruhg]
/ rʌg /
noun
-
rugs
plural
-
a thick fabric for covering part of a floor, often woven of wool and often having an oblong shape with a border design.
-
the treated skin of an animal, used as a floor covering.
a bear rug.
-
Chiefly British. a piece of thick, warm cloth, used as a coverlet, lap robe, etc.
-
Slang. toupee; hairpiece.
idioms
rug
1
British
/ rʌɡ /
noun
-
a floor covering, smaller than a carpet and made of thick wool or of other material, such as an animal skin
-
a blanket, esp one used as a wrap or lap robe for travellers
-
slang a wig
-
to betray, expose, or leave defenceless
RUG
2
British
abbreviation
rug
More Idioms
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of rug
1545–55; < Old Norse rǫgg wool, long hairs; compare Norwegian rugga covering of coarse wool, Swedish rugg coarse hair
Explanation
A rug is something made of woven fabric that covers a floor. If your downstairs neighbor is complaining about the noise, try buying a rug. A rug is smaller than a carpet, which usually covers a room's entire floor — rugs leave parts of the floor exposed. Some are thick and dense, providing a cushiony area for walking or sitting. Rug also informally means "wig or toupee," so you could say, "Did you see that guy's terrible blonde rug?" And if you want to pretend something didn't happen, you'll have to colloquially "sweep it under the rug," or hide it.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
I was hoping to talk about how I felt about AI in interviews at some point anyway, and then this kind of pulled the rug from under that conversation a little bit.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026
"Once we've pulled the rug out from underneath that relationship, it's really difficult to build it back," Logan said, pointing to strong competition from producers like Brazil and Argentina.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
Questions about its finances — let alone about its ownership — were swept under the rug.
From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026
He said some of whom had been left feeling "abandoned, alone and confused, having had the rug pulled from under them".
From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026
My heart sunk down to my toes and leaked all over the rug.
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
A RUG Made of narrow strips of cotton cloth.
From Construction Work for Rural and Elementary Schools by Virginia McGaw
As well as curtains, other soft furnishings like rugs can help keep a room warm, says Seymour.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
“Business areas to call out would be candles, throws, rugs and lamps. Those all posted double-digit and triple-digit comps.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
In the wholesale markets of Yiwu, the Chinese city known for supplying the world with inexpensive goods, buyers can find prayer rugs, Quran stands, modest clothing, Ramadan lanterns and crescent-shaped decorations.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026
The deep green living room sets a bold scene: a clock worthy of Dalí, leopard prints, pink Persian rugs, a snake ottoman and a thrifted tufted chair with Art Deco vibes from CB2.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 21, 2026
It’s tar and cigarette butts and bird crap and not much else, but someone’s laid down some rugs.
From "Sparrow" by Sarah Moon
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
