bog

¹ American  

[bog, bawg] / bɒg, bɔg /

noun

1. wet, spongy ground with soil composed mainly of decayed vegetable matter.

2. an area or stretch of such ground.

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verb (used with or without object)

bogged, bogging

1. to sink in or as if in a bog (often followed bydown ).

   We were bogged down by overwork.

verb phrase

1. bog in to eat heartily and ravenously.

bog ² American  

[bog, bawg] / bɒg, bɔg /

noun

British Slang.

1. a lavatory; bathroom.

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bog British  

/ bɒɡ /

noun

1. wet spongy ground consisting of decomposing vegetation, which ultimately forms peat

2. an area of such ground

3. a place or thing that prevents or slows progress or improvement

4. a slang word for lavatory

5. slang the act or an instance of defecating

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bog Scientific  

/ bôg /

1. An area of wet, spongy ground consisting mainly of decayed or decaying peat moss (sphagnum) and other vegetation. Bogs form as the dead vegetation sinks to the bottom of a lake or pond, where it decays slowly to form peat. Peat bogs are important to global ecology, since the undecayed peat moss stores large amounts of carbon that would otherwise be released back into the atmosphere. Global warming may accelerate decay in peat bogs and release more carbon dioxide, which in turn may cause further warming.

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Other Word Forms

• bogginess noun
• boggish adjective
• boggy adjective

Etymology

Origin of bog¹

1495–1505; < Irish or Scots Gaelic bogach soft ground ( bog soft + -ach noun suffix); bog ¹ ( def. 4 ) perhaps a different word

Origin of bog²

1780–90; probably shortening of bog-house; compare bog to defecate, boggard (16th century) privy, of obscure origin

Example Sentences

Ringed by forest-tundra and bogs, its district centre can only be reached from May to October by river boat or vehicles with tracks, and in winter only by snowmobile or helicopter.

From BBC

The mist thickened around them, filling their mouths and noses with the taste and smell of the bog.

From Literature

Sphagnum moss can hold 20 times its weight in water and helps create peat bogs, where dead vegetation accumulates rather than decays, capturing carbon in the ground.

From BBC

Instead of getting bogged down on the day-to-day of your job, and your growing disgust for it, fixate on your bigger purpose, said Nancy Ancowitz, a career strategist, and do something to nourish that.

From Barron's

"It's a generational issue," he says, arguing they don't want to be "bogged down with this debate".

From BBC

Related Words

• lowland
• marshland
• wetlands