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; 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”; tow ¹

Origin of TOW⁴

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

Example Sentences

He was a waiter, a tow truck driver and an aide to students with special needs.

From Los Angeles Times

At 6 a.m. in early December, an unlabeled white tow truck cruised into Jesse Roller’s Chino neighborhood.

From Los Angeles Times

They can be summoned via the third-party app Honk, which chiefly is used by tow truck operators to find stranded customers.

From Los Angeles Times

"We're working out the best way to do that," Ms Sharman explained, but it was expected a ramp would be built for them to be towed out, before they could be assessed.

From BBC

The coffins were collected by the three teams in canoes and towed ashore, with each being worth £1,000 for the prize fund.

From BBC

Related Words

• drag
• ferry
• haul
• lug
• tug