rug

American  

[ruhg] / rʌg /

noun

1. a thick fabric for covering part of a floor, often woven of wool and often having an oblong shape with a border design.

2. the treated skin of an animal, used as a floor covering.

   a bear rug.

3. Chiefly British. a piece of thick, warm cloth, used as a coverlet, lap robe, etc.

4. Slang. toupee; hairpiece.

---

idioms

1. cut a rug, to dance, especially to jitterbug.

rug ¹ British  

/ rʌɡ /

noun

1. a floor covering, smaller than a carpet and made of thick wool or of other material, such as an animal skin

2. a blanket, esp one used as a wrap or lap robe for travellers

3. slang a wig

4. to betray, expose, or leave defenceless

---

RUG ² British  

abbreviation

1. restricted users group

---

rug More Idioms  

1. see pull the rug out from under; sweep under the rug. Also see under carpet.

---

Other Word Forms

• ruglike adjective

Etymology

Origin of rug

1545–55; < Old Norse rǫgg wool, long hairs; compare Norwegian rugga covering of coarse wool, Swedish rugg coarse hair

Example Sentences

This feels like a trick, like the rug’s about to be pulled out from under me.

From Literature

“You think that you have it. Then all of a sudden, it’s like somebody pulls a rug out and says, ‘No, we’re changing it,’ and now it’s going to be this way now.

From Los Angeles Times

In earlier experiments, the researchers studied young adults by suddenly destabilizing them, essentially pulling a rug out from under their feet.

From Science Daily

A small hexagonal black coffee table is perched in front of the couch, while a black-and-tan patterned rug adds some texture and depth to the space.

From MarketWatch

There was a small potato cellar beneath the kitchen floor: they enlarged the trapdoor letting into it, put a large rug on top of it, and moved the kitchen table to stand on this spot.

From Literature

Related Words

• carpeting
• mat
• tapestry