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tow
1[ toh ]
/ toÊ /
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verb (used with object)
to pull or haul (a car, barge, trailer, etc.) by a rope, chain, or other device: The car was towed to the service station.
noun
an act or instance of towing.
something being towed.
something, as a boat or truck, that tows.
a rope, chain, metal bar, or other device for towing: The trailer is secured to the car by a metal tow.
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Idioms about tow
- in the state of being towed.
- under one's guidance; in one's charge.
- as a follower, admirer, or companion: a professor who always had a graduate student in tow.
in tow,
under tow, in the condition of being towed; in tow.
Origin of tow
1First recorded before 1000; Middle English verb touen, towe, Old English togian âto pull by force, drag, pullâ; cognate with Middle High German zogen, German ziehen âto draw, tug, dragâ; the noun is derivative of the verb; see tug
OTHER WORDS FROM tow
tow·a·ble, adjectivetow·a·bil·i·ty, nounWORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH tow
toe, towWords nearby tow
Other definitions for tow (2 of 4)
tow2
[ toh ]
/ toÊ /
noun
the fiber of flax, hemp, or jute prepared for spinning by beating.
the shorter, less desirable flax fibers separated from line fibers in combing.
synthetic filaments prior to spinning.
adjective
made of tow.
Origin of tow
2First recorded in 1300â50; Middle English tou, tow(e), tough âunworked flax,â Old English tĆw- (in tĆwlÄ«c âpertaining to weaving,â tĆwhĆ«s âspinning houseâ); akin to Old Norse tĆ âwoolâ
Other definitions for tow (3 of 4)
tow3
[ toh ]
/ toÊ /
noun Scot.
a rope.
Origin of tow
3First recorded in 1500â20; late Middle English (Scots); Old English toh- (in tohlÄ«ne âtowlineâ); cognate with Old Norse tog ârope, line, towlineâ; see origin at tow1
Other definitions for tow (4 of 4)
TOW
[ toh ]
/ toÊ /
noun Military.
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.
Origin of TOW
First recorded in 1970â75; abbreviation of t(ube-launched), o(ptically-guided), w(ire-tracked missile)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use tow in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for tow (1 of 2)
tow1
/ (tÉÊ) /
verb
(tr) to pull or drag (a vehicle, boat, etc), esp by means of a rope or cable
noun
Derived forms of tow
towable, adjectiveWord Origin for tow
Old English togian; related to Old Frisian togia, Old Norse toga, Old High German zogĆn
British Dictionary definitions for tow (2 of 2)
tow2
/ (tÉÊ) /
noun
the fibres of hemp, flax, jute, etc, in the scutched state
synthetic fibres preparatory to spinning
the coarser fibres discarded after combing
Derived forms of tow
towy, adjectiveWord Origin for tow
Old English tĆw; related to Old Saxon tou, Old Norse tĆ tuft of wool, Dutch touwen to spin
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 tow
tow
see in tow.
The American HeritageÂź Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.