tug /ˈtʌɡ/noun 9verb 4forms 3phrases 2 noun9 •A sudden powerful pull.At the tug he falls, / Vast ruins come along, rent from the smoking walls. — 1697 •A tugboat. •(slang) An act of male masturbation.He had a quick tug to calm himself down before his date. •A dog toy consisting of a rope, often with a knot in it. •A type of tractor used for moving trailers. •A trace, or drawing strap, of a harness. •An iron hook of a hoisting tub, to which a tackle is affixed. •(UK, slang) A foundationer or colleger at Eton. •(no longer used) A kind of vehicle used for conveying timber and heavy articles.Cattiwi came down the steep lane with his five-horse timber-tug — 1910 verb4 •To pull or drag with great effort.The police officers tugged the drunkard out of the pub. •To pull hard repeatedly.He lost his patience trying to undo his shoe-lace, but tugging it made the knot even tighter. •To tow by tugboat. •(slang) To masturbate. formstugged · tugging · tugs Phrases with tug tug of warA game or competition in which two teams pull or tug on opposite ends of a rope trying to force the other team over the line which initially marked the middle between the two teams. tug one's forelockTo show deference or obsequious respect.
