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

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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.

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adjective

1. made of tow.

tow ³ American  

[toh] / toʊ /

noun

Scot.

1. a rope.

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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.

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tow ¹ British  

/ təʊ /

verb

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

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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

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tow More Idioms  

1. see in tow.

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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; see 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”; see origin at tow ¹

Origin of TOW⁴

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

Explanation

To tow something is to drag or pull it, the way a truck will tow your car away if you park it illegally. A boat can tow a smaller boat behind it, and a person can even tow another person: "I had to tow my little brother down the hall by his arm to get him to leave the party." You can use tow as a noun as well: "My car won't start. Can I get a tow to the gas station?" Sometimes the chain or rope that's used to tow something is also called a tow.

Example Sentences

Questions had been mounting since the 8 September discovery of the 14-year-old's remains in a Hollywood tow yard after authorities received reports of a foul odour coming from the vehicle.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026

Damon Vescovi followed the tow truck ferrying Spivey’s body to the impound lot.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

The band has tipped a new album for some time, though for this career-peak arena tour, it had only a handful of new singles in tow.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

Joining a civil defence convoy, he reached Sidon at 5:00 am, a small bag in tow.

From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026

Gorringe and his troublemakers have spent the last few months building a huge watertight container, which they will use to tow the obelisk to the harbor.

From "The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle" by Dan Gutman

Related Words

• drag
• ferry
• haul
• lug
• tug