Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To pull at vigorously or repeatedly: synonym: pull.
  • intransitive verb To move by pulling with great effort or exertion; drag.
  • intransitive verb To tow by tugboat.
  • intransitive verb To pull something vigorously or repeatedly.
  • noun An instance of tugging; a strong or sudden pull.
  • noun A pulling force.
  • noun A contest; a struggle.
  • noun A tugboat.
  • noun A land, air, or space vehicle that moves or tows other vehicles.
  • noun A rope, chain, or strap used in hauling, especially a harness trace.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The act of pulling, dragging, or hauling with effort, exertion, or difficulty.
  • noun A supreme effort; the severest strain or struggle; a contest; wrestle; tussle.
  • noun A vehicle used in some parts of England for conveying timber or fagots.
  • noun A small but powerful steam-vessel, whether screw or paddle, constructed for the purpose of towing other vessels.
  • noun A chain, strong rope, or leather strap used as a trace; a trace (of a harness).
  • noun In mining, an iron hoop to which a tackle is affixed.
  • noun 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.
  • To pull or draw with sturdy effort or violent strain; haul with force; pull.
  • To tow by means of a steam-tug: as, the vessel had to be tugged into port.
  • To pull with great effort; haul; drag.
  • To exert one's self; labor; strive; struggle; contend; wrestle.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • intransitive verb To pull with great effort; to strain in labor.
  • intransitive verb To labor; to strive; to struggle.
  • transitive verb To pull or draw with great effort; to draw along with continued exertion; to haul along; to tow
  • transitive verb obsolete To pull; to pluck.
  • noun A pull with the utmost effort, as in the athletic contest called tug of war; a supreme effort.
  • noun Prov. Eng. A sort of vehicle, used for conveying timber and heavy articles.
  • noun (Naut.) A small, powerful steamboat used to tow vessels; -- called also steam tug, tugboat, and towboat.
  • noun A trace, or drawing strap, of a harness.
  • noun (Mining.) An iron hook of a hoisting tub, to which a tackle is affixed.
  • noun an iron hook or button to which a tug or trace may be attached, as on the shaft of a wagon.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive to pull or drag with great effort
  • verb transitive to pull hard repeatedly
  • verb transitive to tow by tugboat
  • noun a sudden powerful pull
  • noun nautical a tugboat
  • noun slang An act of masturbation

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb strive and make an effort to reach a goal
  • verb pull or strain hard at
  • noun a powerful small boat designed to pull or push larger ships
  • verb carry with difficulty
  • verb struggle in opposition
  • verb pull hard
  • noun a sudden abrupt pull
  • verb move by pulling hard
  • verb tow (a vessel) with a tug

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English tuggen, from Old English tēon; see deuk- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English tuggen, toggen, from Old English togian ("to draw, drag"), from Proto-Germanic *tugōnan (“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 tee, tow.

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Examples

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  • Gut in reverse.

    November 3, 2007