tow

Use tow in a sentence

A tow truck will give you a tow.

adjective

Tow means related to a device for dragging.
An example of tow used as an adjective is the phrase "tow truck," which means a truck for pulling disabled vehicles.

noun

The definition of a tow is something being dragged, or the broken fibers of hemp or flax before spinning into thread.
1. An example of a tow is a boat being pulled along by a truck.
2. An example of tow is a broken flax fiber.

verb

Tow is defined as to drag behind, often with a rope or chain.
An example of tow is for a truck to pull a disabled vehicle to the repair shop.

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MLA Style

"tow." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 25 May 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/TOW>.

APA Style

tow. (n.d.). Retrieved May 25th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/TOW

tow

to pull by a rope or chain
to pull or drag behind

Origin of tow

Middle English towen from Old English togian from Indo-European base an unverified form deuk-, to pull from source duct

a towing or being towed
something towed
towline

tow Idioms

in tow

being towed
in one's company or retinue
under one's control or charge

the coarse and broken fibers of hemp, flax, etc. before spinning

Origin of tow

Middle English from Old English tow-, for spinning, akin to tawian: see taw

of or resembling tow

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"tow." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 25 May 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/TOW>.

APA Style

tow. (n.d.). Retrieved May 25th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/TOW

tow

transitive verb

towed, tow·ing, tows

To draw or pull behind by a chain or line: a tugboat towing a barge. See Synonyms at pull.

noun

The act or an instance of towing: Can you give my car a tow?
a. Something, such as a tugboat, that tows.
b. Something, such as a barge or car, that is towed.
A rope or cable used in towing.

Origin of tow

Middle English towen from Old English togian ; see deuk- in Indo-European roots.

Related Forms:

tow′a·ble
adjective

tow′er
noun

noun

Coarse broken flax or hemp fiber.
A continuous untwisted bundle of manufactured fibers.

Origin of tow

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

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Link/Cite

Link to this page

Cite this page

MLA Style

"tow." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 25 May 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/TOW>.

APA Style

tow. (n.d.). Retrieved May 25th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/TOW

Verb

(third-person singular simple present tows, present participle towing, simple past and past participle towed)

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

Noun

(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.

Origin

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

Noun

(plural tows)

An untwisted bundle of fibers such as cellulose acetate, flax, hemp or jute.

Anagrams

OTW, owt, two, wot, WTO

Origin

Origin uncertain; compare Old Norse tÃ³ (“uncleansed wool"), Old English tow- (“spinning") (in compounds, e.g. towcrÃ¦ft, towhÅ«s), perhaps cognate with Gothic ð„ðŒ°ðŒ¿ðŒ¾ðŒ°ðŒ½ (taujan, “do, make").

English Wiktionary. Available under CC-BY-SA license.