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.
in 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.
under tow, in the condition of being towed; in tow.
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.
the act or an instance of towing
the state of being towed (esp in the phrases in tow, under tow, on tow )
something towed
something used for towing
in one's charge or under one's influence
informal (in motor racing, etc) the act of taking advantage of the slipstream of another car (esp in the phrase get a tow )
short for ski tow
the fibres of hemp, flax, jute, etc, in the scutched state
synthetic fibres preparatory to spinning
the coarser fibres discarded after combing
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; see tug
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”
First recorded in 1500–20; late Middle English (Scots); Old English toh- (in tohlīne “towline”); cognate with Old Norse tog “rope, line, towline”; see origin at tow 1
First recorded in 1970–75; abbreviation of t(ube-launched), o(ptically-guided), w(ire-tracked missile)
To tow something is to drag or pull it, the way a truck will tow your car away if you park it illegally. A boat can tow a smaller boat behind it, and a person can even tow another person: "I had to tow my little brother down the hall by his arm to get him to leave the party." You can use tow as a noun as well: "My car won't start. Can I get a tow to the gas station?" Sometimes the chain or rope that's used to tow something is also called a tow.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“Decisions regarding parking restrictions, enforcement activity, and which vehicles are impounded for special events are made by the City,” a spokesperson for Hollywood Tow said in a statement to The Times.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2026
Jenny Hall, 23, was last seen leaving her home at Barracks Farm, Tow Law, County Durham, on Tuesday just after 15:00 GMT.
From BBC • Feb. 21, 2025
Another fear is the prying eyes of parents, says college student Abby Tow, who wonders if helicopter parenting has played a role in what she calls the “baby-fication of our generation.”
From Seattle Times • May 12, 2023
Tow truck driver Keith Hickman said he saw abandoned cars “floating like boats” in the streets of Fort Lauderdale.
From Washington Times • Apr. 13, 2023
Nine dollars later, the Tow Cuts were out the door and almost out of time.
From "Look Both Ways" by Jason Reynolds
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
