tug

[ tuhg ]

/ tʌg /

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verb (used with object), tugged, tug·ging.

to pull at with force, vigor, or effort.

to move by pulling forcibly; drag; haul.

to tow (a vessel) by means of a tugboat.

verb (used without object), tugged, tug·ging.

to pull with force or effort: to tug at a stuck drawer.

to strive hard; labor; toil.

noun

an act or instance of tugging; pull; haul.

a strenuous contest between opposing forces, groups, or persons; struggle: the tug of young minds in a seminar.

tugboat.

that by which something is tugged, as a rope or chain.

(on a harness)

trace²(def 1).
any of various supporting or pulling parts.

Nearby words

tufted deer, tufted duck, tufted titmouse, tufting, tufty, tug, tug of war, tug-of-love, tug-of-war, tugboat, tugela

Origin of tug

1175–1225; Middle English toggen to play-wrestle, contend; akin to Old English togian to tow¹

SYNONYMS FOR tug

1 yank, jerk, wrench.

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Related formstug·ger, nountug·less, adjectiveun·tugged, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for tug

These men and women will no doubt cause a tug a war in time.
Up To Speed: The Cuba Embargo|Nina Strochlic|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But since then it has been subject to a tug of war with the CIA.
Ex-CIA Top Lawyer: Release the ‘Black Site’ Report|Eli Lake|March 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After this Euro-Russian tug of war, the sparks ignited in Kiev and Moscow.
Cut the Baloney on Ukraine|Leslie H. Gelb|March 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We must win the tug of war for these men, even if the battle is with the United Nations.
Italian Pirate-Fighting Marines On Trial|Barbie Latza Nadeau|February 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST

“There is a tug of war between House Republicans who care about 2014 and national Republicans who care about 2016,” he said.
Immigration Reform Advocates, Foes to Target House GOP During Recess|Patricia Murphy|August 1, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He felt a tug at his sleeve and heard the gruff voice of the cabby.
The Web of the Golden Spider|Frederick Orin Bartlett
To his great delight he found the plan to answer, for before long he felt a tug, and drew in a good-sized fish.
Middy and Ensign|G. Manville Fenn
There's only one tug in port, and she is not in sea-going trim, so we've got a good start of any search party.
The Ebbing Of The Tide|Louis Becke
For some minutes there was no sound save the subdued thunder of the hull as it trembled under the tug of the rockets.
The Metal Moon|Everett C. Smith
Even in that sheltered harbor, to judge by the faint oscillations of her masts, she felt the tug of the waters around her keel.
McClure's Magazine, Vol 31, No 2, June 1908|Various

British Dictionary definitions for tug

tug

/ (tʌɡ) /

verb tugs, tugging or tugged

(when intr, sometimes foll by at) to pull or drag with sharp or powerful movementsthe boy tugged at the door handle

(tr) to tow (a vessel) by means of a tug

(intr) to work; toil

noun

a strong pull or jerkhe gave the rope a tug

Also called: tugboat, towboat a boat with a powerful engine, used for towing barges, ships, etc

a hard struggle or fight

a less common word for trace 2 (def. 1)

Derived Formstugger, noun

Word Origin for tug

C13: related to Old English tēon to tow 1

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

Word Origin and History for tug (1 of 2)

tug

early 13c., from weak grade of Old English teohan "to pull, drag," from Proto-Germanic *teukh- "pull," from PIE *deuk- "to pull, to lead" (see duke (n.)). Related to tow (v.). Related: Tugged; tugging.

Word Origin and History for tug (1 of 2)

tug

c.1500, from tug (v.). Meaning "small steamer used to tow other vessels" is recorded from 1817. Phrase tug of war (1670s) was originally figurative, "the decisive contest, the real struggle."

tug

verb (used with object), tugged, tug·ging.

verb (used without object), tugged, tug·ging.

noun

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British Dictionary definitions for tug

tug

verb tugs, tugging or tugged

noun

Word Origin for tug

Word Origin and History for tug (1 of 2)

tug

Word Origin and History for tug (1 of 2)

tug

tug

verb (used without object), tugged, tug·ging.

noun

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tug

verb tugs, tugging or tugged

noun

Word Origin for tug

Word Origin and History for tug (1 of 2)

tug

Word Origin and History for tug (1 of 2)

tug

British Dictionary definitions for tug