Tow Definition

towed, towing, tows
verb
towed, towing, tows
To pull by a rope or chain.
Webster's New World
To pull or drag behind.
Webster's New World

To pull something behind one using a line or chain; to haul.

Wiktionary
Antonyms:
noun
tows
The act or an instance of towing.
Can you give my car a tow?
American Heritage

Something, such as a tugboat, that tows.

Wiktionary
Something towed.
Webster's New World
A towing or being towed.
Webster's New World
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
adjective
Of or resembling tow.
Webster's New World
idiom
in tow
  • In a condition of being towed:

    a car with a trailer in tow.

  • Under close guidance; in one's charge:

    The new student was taken in tow by a peer counselor.

American Heritage
in tow
  • being towed
  • in one's company or retinue
Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Tow

Noun

Singular:
tow
Plural:
tows

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Tow

Origin of Tow

  • Origin uncertain; compare Old Norse (“uncleansed wool"), Old English tow- (“spinning") (in compounds, e.g. towcræft, towhÅ«s), perhaps cognate with Gothic 𐍄𐌰𐌿𐌾𐌰𐌽 (taujan, “do, make").

    From Wiktionary

  • Old English toÄ¡ian, from Proto-Germanic *tugōnÄ… (German ziehen, Dutch tijgen), from Proto-Indo-European *dewk-.

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English possibly from Old English tow- spinning (in towcræft spinning craft, spinning)

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Middle English towen from Old English togian deuk- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

Find Similar Words

Find similar words to tow using the buttons below.

Words Starting With

Words Ending With

Unscrambles

tow