| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000. |
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| tug |
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| PRONUNCIATION: |  t g |
| VERB: | Inflected forms: tugged, tug·ging, tugs
| | TRANSITIVE VERB: | 1. To pull at vigorously or repeatedly. 2. To move by pulling with great effort or exertion; drag. 3. To tow by tugboat. | | INTRANSITIVE VERB: | 1. To pull hard: tugged at her boots. See synonyms at pull. 2. To toil or struggle; strain. 3. To vie; contend. | | NOUN: | 1. A strong pull or pulling force: the tug of the sea. 2. A contest; a struggle: a tug between loyalty and desire. 3a. A tugboat. b. A land, air, or space vehicle that moves or tows other vehicles: an airplane tug. 4. A rope, chain, or strap used in hauling, especially a harness trace. | | ETYMOLOGY: | Middle English tuggen, from Old English t on. See deuk- in Appendix I. | | OTHER FORMS: | tug ger —NOUN
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| The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by the Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. |
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