tug

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. v. To pull at vigorously or repeatedly.
2. v. To move by pulling with great effort or exertion; drag.
3. v. To tow by tugboat.
4. v. To pull hard: tugged at her boots. See Synonyms at pull.
5. v. To toil or struggle; strain.
6. v. To vie; contend.
7. n. A strong pull or pulling force: the tug of the sea.
8. n. A contest; a struggle: a tug between loyalty and desire.
9. n. A tugboat.
10. n. A land, air, or space vehicle that moves or tows other vehicles: an airplane tug.
11. n. A rope, chain, or strap used in hauling, especially a harness trace.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. To pull or draw with sturdy effort or violent strain; haul with force; pull.
2. To tow by means of a steam-tug: as, the vessel had to be tugged into port.
3. To pull with great effort; haul; drag.
4. To exert one's self; labor; strive; struggle; contend; wrestle.
5. n. The act of pulling, dragging, or hauling with effort, exertion, or difficulty.
6. n. A supreme effort; the severest strain or struggle; a contest; wrestle; tussle.
7. n. A vehicle used in some parts of England for conveying timber or fagots.
8. n. A small but powerful steam-vessel, whether screw or paddle, constructed for the purpose of towing other vessels.
9. n. A chain, strong rope, or leather strap used as a trace; a trace (of a harness).
10. n. In mining, an iron hoop to which a tackle is affixed.
11. n. An athletic contest in which a number of persons, generally four on each side and limited to a certain weight, tug at the ends of a rope, each side trying to pull the rope from the other, or to pull the other side over a line marked on the ground between the contestants. Also called ropepull.

Wiktionary

1. v. transitive to pull or drag with great effort
2. v. transitive to pull hard repeatedly
3. v. transitive to tow by tugboat
4. n. a sudden powerful pull
5. n. nautical a tugboat
6. n. slang An act of masturbation

GNU Webster's 1913

1. v. To pull or draw with great effort; to draw along with continued exertion; to haul along; to tow
2. v. obsolete To pull; to pluck.
3. v. To pull with great effort; to strain in labor.
4. v. To labor; to strive; to struggle.
5. n. A pull with the utmost effort, as in the athletic contest called tug of war; a supreme effort.
6. n. Prov. Eng. A sort of vehicle, used for conveying timber and heavy articles.
7. n. (Naut.) A small, powerful steamboat used to tow vessels; -- called also steam tug, tugboat, and towboat.
8. n. A trace, or drawing strap, of a harness.
9. n. (Mining.) An iron hook of a hoisting tub, to which a tackle is affixed.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. strive and make an effort to reach a goal
2. v. pull or strain hard at
3. n. a powerful small boat designed to pull or push larger ships
4. v. carry with difficulty
5. v. struggle in opposition
6. v. pull hard
7. n. a sudden abrupt pull
8. v. move by pulling hard
9. v. tow (a vessel) with a tug