Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Tow
Tow
(tō)
, Noun.
[OE.
tow
, AS. tow
, akin to OD. touw
, Icel. tō
a tuft of wool for spinning; cf. E. taw
, v. t.] The coarse and broken part of flax or hemp, separated from the finer part by the hatchel or swingle.
Tow
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Towed
(tōd)
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Towing
.] [OE.
towen
, toȝen; akin to OFries. toga
to pull about, OHG. zogōn, Icel. toga
, AS. toh
line a towline, and AS. teón
to draw, p. p. getogen
. See Tug
.] To draw or pull through the water, as a vessel of any kind, by means of a rope.
Tow
,Noun.
[Cf. Icel. ]
taug
a rope, from the same root as E. tow
, Verb.
T.
1.
A rope by which anything is towed; a towline, or towrope.
2.
The act of towing, or the state of being towed; – chiefly used in the phrase, to take in tow, that is to tow.
3.
That which is towed, or drawn by a towline, as a barge, raft, collection of boats, ect.
Webster 1828 Edition
Tow
TOW
,Verb.
T.
TOW
,Noun.
Definition 2024
tow
tow
English
Verb
tow (third-person singular simple present tows, present participle towing, simple past and past participle towed)
Translations
pull something using a line
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Noun
tow (plural tows)
- The act of towing and the condition of being towed.
- It isn't the car's battery; I think I need a tow.
- Something, such as a tugboat, that tows.
- Something, such as a barge, that is towed.
- A rope or cable used in towing.
Translations
act of towing
something that tows
something that is towed
cable used in towing
Derived terms
Etymology 2
Origin uncertain; compare Old Norse tó (“uncleansed wool”), Old English tow- (“spinning”) (in compounds, e.g. towcræft, towhūs), perhaps cognate with Gothic 𐍄𐌰𐌿𐌾𐌰𐌽 (taujan, “do, make”)[1].
Noun
tow (plural tows)
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
bundle of fibers