tow
verbnounnouncommon in dialogue
- United Kingdom//təʊ//
- United States//toʊ//
- Scotland//to//
- //tou//
- //taʊ//
To pull something behind one, such as by using a line, chain, or tongue.
verb
- 1
To pull something behind one, such as by using a line, chain, or tongue.
Near-synonyms: draw, haul, pull, trail
In its current specification it cannot be driven and must be towed to its work location by a locomotive.
- 2
To aid someone behind by shielding them from wind resistance.
Etymology
From Middle English towen, from Old English togian (“to tow”), from Proto-West Germanic *togōn, from Proto-Germanic *tugōną (“to draw, pull”), from Proto-Indo-European *dewk- (“to draw, pull; to lead”). Cognates Cognate with German zögern (“to hesitate, pause”), Faroese and Icelandic toga (“to pull”), French touer (“to tow, tug a ship”); also Welsh dwyn (“to steal; to take; to bring to”), Latin dūcō (“to conduct, guide, lead; to take; to draw, pull; to consider, think; to prolong; to march; to forge”), Ancient Greek δαδύσσομαι (dadússomai, “to be distracted”), Albanian nduk (“to pluck out, pull out, tear”), Central Kurdish دۆشین (doşîn, “to milk”), Northern Kurdish dotin, doşîn, دۆشین (doşîn, “to milk”), Ossetian ду́цын (dúcyn, “to milk”), Pashto لوشل (lwašal, “to milk; to extort”), Persian دوشیدن (dōšīdan / dušidan), دوشتن (duštan), دوختن (dōxtan / duxtan, “to milk”). Related to tug.
noun
- 1
The act of towing and the condition of being towed.
It isn't the car's battery; I think I need a tow.
- 2
Something, such as a tugboat, that tows.
- 3
Something, such as a barge, that is towed.
- 4
A rope or cable used in towing.
- 5
A speed increase given by driving in front of another car on a straight, which causes a slipstream for the car behind.
On Saturday, Vettel was very unhappy with Leclerc's failure to work out a way through the traffic and give him a tow for the second runs in qualifying, as had been agreed.
noun
- 1
An untwisted bundle of fibres such as cellulose acetate, flax, hemp or jute.
And the strong shall be as towe, and the maker of it as a sparke, and they shall both burne together, and none shall quench them.
Meanwhile the farmer's wife was at home all alone, and while she was sitting and spinning her tow, she never noticed a Troll who had crept through the window into the next room, and was at the beer barrel drawing off the liquor into his copper kettle.
- 2
The short, coarse, less desirable fibres separated by hackling from the finer longer fibres (line).
Etymology
From Middle English touw, from Old English tow- (“spinning”) (in compounds, e.g. towcræft, towhūs, towlic), from Proto-Germanic *tawwą; compare Old Norse tó (“uncleansed wool”), Dutch touw (“rope”). Perhaps cognate with Old English tawian (“prepare for use”), Gothic 𐍄𐌰𐌿𐌾𐌰𐌽 (taujan, “do, make”).
Forms
- plural
- tows
- past tense
- towed
- past participle
- towed
- present participle
- towing
- third person singular
- tows
tow · To pull something behind one, such as by using a line, chain, or tongue.
Tow · A surname.toward · In the direction of.Toward · A coastal village south of Dunoon, Argyll and Bute council…