peg

[ peg ]

/ pɛg /

Save This Word!

noun

a pin of wood or other material driven or fitted into something, as to fasten parts together, to hang things on, to make fast a rope or string on, to stop a hole, or to mark some point.

Informal. a leg, either real or wooden: still on his pegs at 99.

a notch or degree: to come down a peg.

an occasion, basis, or reason: a peg to hang a grievance on.

Also pin .Music. a pin of wood or metal in the neck of a stringed instrument that may be turned in its socket to adjust a string's tension.

Informal. a throw, especially in baseball: The peg to the plate was late.

news peg.

Economics. the level at which some price, exchange rate, etc., is set.

British, Indian English. an alcoholic drink, especially a whiskey or brandy and soda.

British. clothespin.

verb (used with object), pegged, peg·ging.

to drive or insert a peg into.

to fasten with or as with pegs.

to mark with pegs.

to strike or pierce with or as with a peg.

to keep (the commodity price, exchange rate, etc.) at a set level, as by manipulation or law.

Informal. to throw (a ball).

Journalism. to base (an article, feature story, etc.) upon; justify by (usually followed by on): The feature on the chief of police was pegged on the riots.

Informal. to identify: to peg someone as a good prospect.

verb (used without object), pegged, peg·ging.

to work or continue persistently or energetically: to peg away at a homework assignment.

Informal. to throw a ball.

Croquet. to strike a peg, as in completing a game.

adjective

Also pegged. tapered toward the bottom of the leg: peg trousers.

QUIZ

FIRE UP YOUR VOCAB FOR A "RED" SYNONYMS QUIZ

No fire engine reds here, only a fierce collection of vibrant words for the color red to test yourself on.

Question 1 of 7

What does "amaranth" mean?

a legendary stone of impenetrable hardness

an imaginary, undying flower

a mythical creature

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

Idioms about peg

take down a peg, to reduce the pride or arrogance of; humble; humiliate: I guess that'll take him down a peg!Also take down a notch .

Origin of peg

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English pegge (noun), peggen (verb), from Middle Dutch

OTHER WORDS FROM peg

peg·less, adjectivepeg·like, adjectivere·peg, verb, re·pegged, re·peg·ging.

Other definitions for peg (2 of 2)

Peg

[ peg ]

/ pɛg /

noun

a female given name, form of Peggy.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use peg in a sentence

Meanwhile, Ohio went for Obama twice, and the same Quinnipiac Poll also pegs Clinton ahead of all Republican challengers.
Republicans Better Mind the Modernity Gap To Catch Up to Clinton|Lloyd Green|March 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There are also pink pegs, which give point bonuses, and two green pegs, which award special powers.
Gamer Life: I’m Addicted to ‘Peggle 2’|Alec Kubas-Meyer|December 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Each level consists of a static screen covered with blue and orange pegs.
Gamer Life: I’m Addicted to ‘Peggle 2’|Alec Kubas-Meyer|December 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST
With only orange pegs left to hit, the dynamics of play change dramatically.
Gamer Life: I’m Addicted to ‘Peggle 2’|Alec Kubas-Meyer|December 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Inferno pegs the odometer needle into the red at the outset and stays there for nearly 500 pages.
‘Inferno’: Dan’s Brown’s Best Book Yet|Malcolm Jones|May 14, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Two hair-pins, which she drew from her own clustering ringlets, she drove into a shelf for pegs to hang her clothes upon.
Madame Roland, Makers of History|John S. C. Abbott
He helped stretch the skins out on the ground and drive little pegs through the slits.
The Later Cave-Men|Katharine Elizabeth Dopp
As for Ren, he sat on the single doorstep and whittled pegs on which to hang his rifle inside the door.
The Amazing Interlude|Mary Roberts Rinehart
To a few small wooden pegs stuck in the top he made fast some long strings of tow, shredded out to resemble hair.
A Virginia Scout|Hugh Pendexter
I sewed the short seams at the sides, and split the pegs from a section of seasoned maple.
Famous Adventures And Prison Escapes of the Civil War|Various

British Dictionary definitions for peg

peg

/ (pɛɡ) /

noun

a small cylindrical pin or dowel, sometimes slightly tapered, used to join two parts together

a pin pushed or driven into a surface: used to mark scores, define limits, support coats, etc

music any of several pins passing through the head (peg box) of a stringed instrument, which can be turned so as to tune strings wound around themSee also pin (def. 11)

Also called: clothes peg British a split or hinged pin for fastening wet clothes to a line to dryUS and Canadian equivalent: clothespin

informal a person's leg

Northern English dialect a tooth

British a small drink of wine or spirits, esp of brandy or whisky and soda

an opportunity or pretext for doing somethinga peg on which to hang a theory

a mountaineering piton

croquet a post that a player's ball must strike to win the game

angling a fishing station allotted to an angler in a competition, marked by a peg in the ground

informal a level of self-esteem, importance, etc (esp in the phrases bring or take down a peg)

informal See peg leg

off the peg mainly British (of clothes) ready to wear, as opposed to tailor-made

verb pegs, pegging or pegged

(tr) to knock or insert a peg into or pierce with a peg

(tr sometimes foll by down) to secure with pegsto peg a tent

mountaineering to insert or use pitons

(tr) to mark (a score) with pegs, as in some card games

(tr) informal to aim and throw (missiles) at a target

(intr; foll by away, along, etc) mainly British to work steadilyhe pegged away at his job for years

(tr) to stabilize (the price of a commodity, an exchange rate, etc) by legislation or market operations

Word Origin for peg

C15: from Low Germanic pegge

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with peg

peg

In addition to the idiom beginning with peg

peg away at

also see:

square peg in a round hole
take down a notch (peg)

peg

Idioms about peg

Origin of peg

OTHER WORDS FROM peg

Other definitions for peg (2 of 2)

Words related to peg

How to use peg in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for peg

Word Origin for peg

Other Idioms and Phrases with peg