tug: Meaning and Definition of

tug

Pronunciation: (tug), [key]
— v., n. tugged, tug•ging,
—v.t.
  1. to pull at with force, vigor, or effort.
  2. to move by pulling forcibly; drag; haul.
  3. to tow (a vessel) by means of a tugboat.
—v.i.
  1. to pull with force or effort: to tug at a stuck drawer.
  2. to strive hard; labor; toil.
—n.
  1. an act or instance of tugging; pull; haul.
  2. a strenuous contest between opposing forces, groups, or persons; struggle: the tug of young minds in a seminar.
  3. tugboat.
  4. that by which something is tugged, as a rope or chain.
  5. (on a harness)
    1. trace2 (def. 1).
    2. any of various supporting or pulling parts.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
See also:
  • tug (Thesaurus)