lag
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to move more slowly than others in a group or to fail to keep up the same speed.
v.to fail to maintain a pace or to fall behind in movement, progress, or development. Often used with the preposition 'behind'.
Simple“The youngest hikers started to lag behind the rest of the group after the first hour.”
In context“Economic growth in the northern provinces continues to lag behind the national average despite significant federal investment in infrastructure.”
UsageOften used as the phrasal verb 'lag behind'.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a delay between a command and a response, especially in a video game or on the internet.
n.a period of latency between the initiation of an instruction and the resulting response in a digital system.
Simple“I lost the game because there was too much lag on the server.”
In context“High network lag can render real-time collaborative software virtually unusable for remote teams.”
UsageCommonly used as an uncountable noun in gaming contexts.
- 03 C1 Advanced
v.to wrap something, like a water pipe, in a special cover to keep it warm.
v.to provide a pipe, boiler, or similar vessel with thermal insulation by wrapping it in protective material.
Simple“You should lag your outdoor pipes before the first winter frost.”
In context“The contractor was instructed to lag all exposed steam pipes to improve the building's overall energy efficiency.”
UsageTransitive verb requiring a direct object.
- 04 C2 Proficiency
n.a person who has been in prison for a long time.
n.a person who has been convicted of a crime and served a prison sentence.
Simple“The old lag had spent half his life behind bars and didn't know how to live outside.”
In context“The documentary features interviews with several old lags who describe the harsh conditions of the penal system in the 1970s.”
Teacher's tipUsually seen in the phrase 'old lag' to describe a career criminal or repeat offender.
- 05 C1 Advanced
adj.a style of playing poker where you play many hands and bet aggressively.
adj.an acronymic adjective for 'Loose-Aggressive'; a playing style characterised by playing a wide range of hands and frequent raising.
Simple“He is a very lag player, so you never know if he actually has a good hand.”
In context“Adopting a LAG strategy can be highly profitable in certain tournament structures, though it carries a significantly higher risk of ruin.”
UsageOften written in all caps as LAG.
Antonyms
Usage time lag
“Parents often worry that their child has forgotten math over the summer or that their reading has lagged.”
“Normally, when you’re playing a game this lag is imperceptible.”
Of unknown origin. Possibly of North Germanic origin.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.