lug
/lʌɡ/ noun, verb
Also a form of Lugh
Forms lugs lugging lugged
- noun The act of hauling or dragging. “a hard lug”
- noun That which is hauled or dragged. “The pack is a heavy lug.”
- noun Anything that moves slowly.
- noun (automotive) A lug nut.
- noun (electrical engineering) A device for terminating an electrical conductor to facilitate the mechanical connection; to the conductor it may be crimped to form a cold weld, soldered or have pressure from a screw.
- noun A part of something which sticks out, used as a handle or support.
- noun A large, clumsy, awkward man; a fool.
- noun (UK) An ear or ear lobe. “While shaving, the poor sod had a fit and cut part of a lug off.”
- verb (transitive, sometimes figurative) To haul or drag along (especially something heavy); to carry; to pull. “Why do you always lug around so many books?”
- verb (transitive) To run at too slow a speed. “When driving up a hill, choose a lower gear so you don't lug the engine.”
- verb (transitive, nautical) To carry an excessive amount of sail for the conditions prevailing.
- verb (intransitive, horse racing) To pull toward the inside rail ("lugging in") or the outside rail ("lugging out") during a race.
- noun (UK, dialect) A rod or pole.
- noun (UK, archaic, dialect) A measure of length equal to 16+¹⁄₂ feet.
- noun (nautical) A lugsail.
- noun (harness) The leather loop or ear by which a shaft is held up.
- noun A loop (or protuberance) found on both arms of a hinge, featuring a hole for the axis of the hinge.
- noun A ridge or other protuberance on the surface of a body to increase traction or provide a hold for holding and moving it.
Synonyms
big lug rod Lugh lugsail lugworm lobworm tote tug stuff choke up block
Etymology
From Middle English luggen, possibly from a Scandinavian/North Germanic source, (compare Swedish lugga, Norwegian lugge); also in English dialectal as lig (“to lug”).
Noun is via Scots lugge, probably from Old Norse (compare Norwegian and Swedish lugg).
Probably related to slug (“lazy, slow-moving”), which may be from similar source(s).
From Middle English lugge (“pole, stick, staff”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun The ear, or its lobe. [Scot. & Prov. Eng.]
- noun That which projects like an ear, esp. that by which anything is supported, carried, or grasped, or to which a support is fastened; an ear; as, the lugs of a kettle; the lugs of a founder's flask; the lug (handle) of a jug.
- verb To pull with force; to haul; to drag along; to carry with difficulty, as something heavy or cumbersome. Dryden.
- verb To move slowly and heavily.
Etymology [Sw. lugg the forelock.]
Etymology [OE. luggen, Sw. lugga to pull by the hair, fr. lugg the forelock.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “lug”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details