haul

[ hawl ]

/ hɔl /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR haul ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object)

to pull or draw with force; move by drawing; drag: They hauled the boat up onto the beach.

to cart or transport; carry: He hauled freight.

to cause to descend; lower (often followed by down): to haul down the flag.

to arrest or bring before a magistrate or other authority (often followed by before, in, to, into, etc.): He was hauled before the judge.

verb (used without object)

to pull or tug.

to go or come to a place, especially with effort: After roistering about the streets, they finally hauled into the tavern.

to do carting or transport, or move freight commercially.

Nautical.

to sail, as in a particular direction.
to draw or pull a vessel up on land, as for repairs or storage.
(of the wind) to shift to a direction closer to the heading of a vessel (opposed to veer).
(of the wind) to change direction, shift, or veer (often followed by round or to).

noun

an act or instance of hauling; a strong pull or tug.

something that is hauled.

the load hauled at one time; quantity carried or transported.

the distance or route over which anything is hauled.

Fishing.

the quantity of fish taken at one draft of the net.
the draft of a fishing net.
the place where a seine is hauled.

the act of taking or acquiring something.

something that is taken or acquired: The thieves' haul included several valuable paintings.

Verb Phrases

haul off,

Nautical.to change a ship's course so as to get farther off from an object.
to withdraw; leave.
Informal.to draw back the arm in order to strike; prepare to deal a blow: He hauled off and struck the insolent lieutenant a blow to the chin.

haul up,

to bring before a superior for judgment or reprimand; call to account.
to come to a halt; stop.
Nautical.to change the course of (a sailing vessel) so as to sail closer to the wind.
Nautical.(of a sailing vessel) to come closer to the wind.
Nautical.(of a vessel) to come to a halt.

Nearby words

Idioms

haul around, Nautical.

to brace (certain yards of a sailing vessel).
(of the wind) to change in a clockwise direction.

haul in with, Nautical. to approach.

haul/shag ass, Slang: Vulgar. to get a move on; hurry.

long haul,

a relatively great period of time: In the long haul, he'll regret having been a school dropout.
a relatively great distance: It's a long haul from Maine to Texas.
Nautical.the drawing up on shore of a vessel for a relatively long period of time, as for winter storage or longer.

short haul,

a relatively small period of time: For the short haul, he'll be able to get by on what he earns.
a relatively little distance: The axle wouldn't break for just a short haul.
Nautical.the drawing up on shore of a vessel for a relatively short period, as for repairs or painting.

Origin of haul

1550–60; earlier hall, variant of hale²

Related formsre·haul, verbun·hauled, adjective

Can be confusedhall haul

Synonym study

1. See draw.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for haul

Botala remembers that the rebels would pull into the island, loot what they could, and then take the haul back to Stanleyville.
The Congo's Forgotten Colonial Getaway|Nina Strochlic|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Only a mere $15,000 in cash from the haul was never recovered.
The High Society Bank Robber of the 1800s|J. North Conway|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He fell short, taking in less than half that amount, but his haul was enough to scare his primary opponent, Trey Grayson.
Rand Paul’s Daddy Issues|Olivia Nuzzi|July 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Tellingly, both still trail the haul stacked up by The LEGO Movie back in February.
Is the Summer Blockbuster Dead?|Kevin Fallon|July 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST

So, I haul off and belt him, two or three times, with my fist.
The Stacks: The Judas Priest Teen Suicide Trial|Ivan Solotaroff|June 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
How much weight a team of eight good dogs can haul depends upon the character of the country and the condition of the snow or ice.
Packing and Portaging|Dillon Wallace
Secure the yard by the iron trusses, and haul taut lifts and braces.
The Seaman's Friend|Richard Henry Dana
The stranger, now clearly visible from the deck, was after a time seen to haul to the wind.
The Missing Ship|W. H. G. Kingston
Shell trim with the staysail, if we haul another reef down, he said.
The Protector|Harold Bindloss
Every evening the travellers must find a beach or shelf where they could haul up for the night.
Overland|John William De Forest

British Dictionary definitions for haul

haul

/ (hɔːl) /

verb

to drag or draw (something) with effort

(tr) to transport, as in a lorry

nautical to alter the course of (a vessel), esp so as to sail closer to the wind

(tr) nautical to draw or hoist (a vessel) out of the water onto land or a dock for repair, storage, etc

(intr) nautical (of the wind) to blow from a direction nearer the bowCompare veer 1 (def. 3b)

(intr) to change one's opinion or action

noun

the act of dragging with effort

(esp of fish) the amount caught at a single time

something that is hauled

the goods obtained from a robbery

a distance of haulinga three-mile haul

the amount of a contraband seizurearms haul; drugs haul

in the long haul or over the long haul

in a future time
over a lengthy period of time

Word Origin for haul

C16: from Old French haler, of Germanic origin; see hale ²

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for haul

haul

1580s, hall, variant spelling of Middle English halen (see hale (v.)), representing a change in pronunciation after c.1200. Spelling with -au- or -aw- is from early 17c. Related: Hauled; hauling. To haul off "pull back a little" before striking or otherwise acting is American English, 1802.

haul

1660s, "act of hauling," from haul (v.). Meaning "something gained" is from 1776, perhaps on notion of "drawing" a profit, or of the catch from hauling fishing nets. Meaning "distance over which something must be hauled" (usually with long or short) is attested from 1873.

Idioms and Phrases with haul

haul

In addition to the idioms beginning with haul

haul off
haul over the coals
haul up

also see:

long haul
rake (haul) over the coals

haul

verb (used with object)

verb (used without object)

noun

Verb Phrases

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RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of haul

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for haul

haul

verb

noun

Word Origin for haul

haul

haul

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