tug
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to pull something with a lot of effort or to pull it several times quickly.
v.to pull or drag something with significant effort, or to apply a series of sharp, forceful pulls.
Simple“The child began to tug on his mother's sleeve to get her attention.”
In context“The fisherman had to tug firmly on the line to prevent the heavy catch from escaping back into the depths of the lake.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
v.to pull a ship or boat using a smaller, powerful boat.
v.to tow a vessel by means of a tugboat, typically in restricted waters or harbours.
Simple“The small boat had to tug the massive tanker into the narrow harbour.”
In context“Harbour pilots watched as the lead vessel began to tug the disabled freighter toward the safety of the dry dock.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a sudden, strong pull on something.
n.a sudden, forceful act of pulling.
Simple“She felt a sharp tug on her fishing line and knew she had caught something.”
In context“With one final tug, the mechanic managed to loosen the rusted bolt that had been holding up the entire repair process.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a small, very powerful boat used for pulling much larger ships.
n.a small, powerful vessel designed for towing or pushing larger ships, especially in confined water.
Simple“The tug guided the ocean liner safely to its place at the pier.”
In context“The fleet of tugs worked in perfect coordination to maneuver the aircraft carrier through the narrow channel during the storm.”
Synonymstugboattowboat - 05 C2 Proficiency
v.a slang word for touching your own sexual organs for pleasure.
v.to engage in masturbation; typically used intransitively or with a reflexive object.
Simple“He was embarrassed when his roommate walked in while he was having a tug.”
In context“The script was criticized for its reliance on crude humor, including several unnecessary jokes about characters having a tug in private.”
UsageOften used in the phrase 'have a tug' as a noun or 'tug off' as a phrasal verb.
Synonyms
From Middle English tuggen, toggen, from Old English togian (“to draw, drag”), from Proto-West Germanic togōn, from Proto-Germanic tugōną (“to draw, tear”), from Proto-Indo-European *dewk- (“to pull”). Cognate with Middle Low German togen (“to draw”), Middle High German zogen (“to pull, tear off”), Icelandic toga (“to pull, draw”). Related to tow.
Related to toga.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.