# lag

/ˈɫæɡ/ (US) · /lˈæɡ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/lag
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. to fall behind

verb · CEFR B2

to move more slowly than others in a group or to fail to keep up the same speed.

For teachers: to fail to maintain a pace or to fall behind in movement, progress, or development. Often used with the preposition 'behind'.

- The youngest hikers started to lag behind the rest of the group after the first hour.
- Economic growth in the northern provinces continues to lag behind the national average despite significant federal investment in infrastructure.

Usage: Often used as the phrasal verb 'lag behind'.

### 2. computing delay

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

a delay between a command and a response, especially in a video game or on the internet.

For teachers: a period of latency between the initiation of an instruction and the resulting response in a digital system.

- I lost the game because there was too much lag on the server.
- High network lag can render real-time collaborative software virtually unusable for remote teams.

Usage: Commonly used as an uncountable noun in gaming contexts.

### 3. to insulate

verb · CEFR C1 · Technical

to wrap something, like a water pipe, in a special cover to keep it warm.

For teachers: to provide a pipe, boiler, or similar vessel with thermal insulation by wrapping it in protective material.

- You should lag your outdoor pipes before the first winter frost.
- The contractor was instructed to lag all exposed steam pipes to improve the building's overall energy efficiency.

Usage: Transitive verb requiring a direct object.

### 4. a prisoner

noun · CEFR C2 · British English · Slang · Informal

a person who has been in prison for a long time.

For teachers: a person who has been convicted of a crime and served a prison sentence.

- The old lag had spent half his life behind bars and didn't know how to live outside.
- The documentary features interviews with several old lags who describe the harsh conditions of the penal system in the 1970s.

Teaching tip: Usually seen in the phrase 'old lag' to describe a career criminal or repeat offender.

### 5. poker style

adjective · CEFR C1 · Slang · Technical

a style of playing poker where you play many hands and bet aggressively.

For teachers: an acronymic adjective for 'Loose-Aggressive'; a playing style characterised by playing a wide range of hands and frequent raising.

- He is a very lag player, so you never know if he actually has a good hand.
- Adopting a LAG strategy can be highly profitable in certain tournament structures, though it carries a significantly higher risk of ruin.

Usage: Often written in all caps as LAG.

## Examples

- I lost the game because of the lag.
- The video call was difficult to follow because there was a three-second lag between the audio and the video.
- While the hardware is capable of rendering high-fidelity graphics, the network lag remains a significant barrier for players in regions with limited infrastructure.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.