tow

¹ American  

[toh] / toʊ /

verb (used with object)

1. to pull or haul (a car, barge, trailer, etc.) by a rope, chain, or other device.

   The car was towed to the service station.

   Synonyms:

   tug, draw, trail

---

noun

1. an act or instance of towing.

2. something being towed.

3. something, as a boat or truck, that tows.

4. a rope, chain, metal bar, or other device for towing.

   The trailer is secured to the car by a metal tow.

5. ski tow.

idioms

1. in tow,

   1. in the state of being towed.

   2. under one's guidance; in one's charge.

   3. as a follower, admirer, or companion.

      a professor who always had a graduate student in tow.

2. under tow, in the condition of being towed; in tow.

tow ² American  

[toh] / toʊ /

noun

1. the fiber of flax, hemp, or jute prepared for spinning by beating.

2. the shorter, less desirable flax fibers separated from line fibers in combing.

3. synthetic filaments prior to spinning.

---

adjective

1. made of tow.

tow ³ American  

[toh] / toʊ /

noun

Scot.

1. a rope.

---

TOW ⁴ American  

[toh] / toʊ /

noun

Military.

1. a U.S. Army antitank missile, steered to its target by two thin wires connected to a computerized launcher, which is mounted on a vehicle or helicopter.

---

tow ¹ British  

/ təʊ /

verb

1. (tr) to pull or drag (a vehicle, boat, etc), esp by means of a rope or cable

---

noun

1. the act or an instance of towing

2. the state of being towed (esp in the phrases in tow, under tow, on tow )

3. something towed

4. something used for towing

5. in one's charge or under one's influence

6. informal (in motor racing, etc) the act of taking advantage of the slipstream of another car (esp in the phrase get a tow )

7. short for ski tow

tow ² British  

/ təʊ /

noun

1. the fibres of hemp, flax, jute, etc, in the scutched state

2. synthetic fibres preparatory to spinning

3. the coarser fibres discarded after combing

---

tow More Idioms  

1. see in tow.

---

Other Word Forms

• towability noun
• towable adjective
• towy adjective

Etymology

Origin of tow¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English verb touen, towe, Old English togian “to pull by force, drag, pull”; cognate with Middle High German zogen, German ziehen “to draw, tug, drag”; the noun is derivative of the verb; tug

Origin of tow²

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English tou, tow(e), tough “unworked flax,” Old English tōw- (in tōwlīc “pertaining to weaving,” tōwhūs “spinning house”); akin to Old Norse tō “wool”

Origin of tow³

First recorded in 1500–20; late Middle English (Scots); Old English toh- (in tohlīne “towline”); cognate with Old Norse tog “rope, line, towline”; tow ¹

Origin of TOW⁴

First recorded in 1970–75; abbreviation of t(ube-launched), o(ptically-guided), w(ire-tracked missile)

Example Sentences

Float riders will have ponchos on standby, and there will be plenty of tow trucks available to haul any displays that break down, she added.

From Los Angeles Times

Work is under way to tow them away.

From BBC

Buyers had certain expectations for what a truck could do and reported dissatisfaction with the Lightning’s towing and off-road capabilities.

From The Wall Street Journal

The deputy chief told Boyd that Spivey’s body was towed “to make sure that every i’s dotted, t’s crossed to clear you.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Video of the incident showed an SUV being towed away from the parking garage of the Da Vinci Apartments, where Martinez is being pinned to the ground by agents.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• drag
• ferry
• haul
• lug
• tug