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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

peg en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • [ˈpʰeɪ̯ɡ] Upper Midwestern US, Northwestern US, Canada
  • (US) audio
  • /ˈpɛɡ/
  • [ˈpʰɛɡ]
  • /ˈpeɪ̯ɡ/ Upper Midwestern US, Northwestern US, Canada

Etymology

From Middle English pegge, from Middle Dutch pegge (“pin, peg”), from Old Dutch *pigg-, *pegg-, from Proto-Germanic *pig-, *pag- (“peg, stake”), from Proto-Indo-European *bak-, *baḱ- (“club, pointed stick, peg”). Cognate with Dutch dialectal peg (“pin”), Low German pig, pigge (“peg, stick with a point”), Low German pegel (“post, stake”), Swedish pigg (“tooth, spike”), Danish pig (“spike”), Norwegian Bokmål pigg (“spike”), Irish bac (“stick, crook”), Latin baculum (“staff”), Latvian bakstît (“to poke”), Ancient Greek βάκτρον (báktron, “staff, walking stick”). Related to beak. This is one of the very few English words that begin with a p and come from Proto-Germanic. Proto-Germanic *p, when not in a consonant cluster beginning with *s, developed by Grimm's law from the Proto-Indo-European consonant *b, which was very rare. (To indicate or ascribe an attribute to): Assumed to originate from the use of pegs or pins as markers on a bulletin board or a list.

Meanings

  1. A cylindrical wooden or metal object used to fasten or as a bearing between objects.
  2. A protrusion used to hang things on.
    • Hang your coat on the peg and come in.
  3. (figuratively) A support; a reason; a pretext.
    • a peg to hang a claim upon
  4. (qualifier:cribbage) A peg moved on a crib board to keep score.
  5. A fixed exchange rate, where a currency's value is matched to the value of another currency or measure such as gold.
    • The following became obvious quite quickly – the cryptosphere needed a nonvolatile peg. 2022, Simon Dingle, Steven Boykey Sidley, chapter 7, in Beyond Bitcoin, Icon Books, →ISBN:
  6. (UK) A small quantity of a strong alcoholic beverage.
    • This over, the club will be visited for a "peg," Anglice drink. 1898, unknown author, Harper's Magazine:
    • The name had come to mean any aromatic essence of herbs by the time the first thirsty colonial poured a peg of Who-shot-John into his mint water. 1953, S. S. Field, The American drink book, page 65:
  7. A place formally allotted for fishing
  8. (colloquial, dated) A leg or foot.
    • "Now I'm cleaned up for thee: tha's no 'casions ter stir a peg all day, but sit and read thy books." 1913, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, chapter 2, in Sons and Lovers, London: Duckworth & Co. […], →OCLC:
  9. One of the pins of a musical instrument, on which the strings are strained.
    • Did we form ourselves, choosing, and our powers? I find myself, for one, as a stringed instrument with chords and stops - but I have no power to turn the pegs, or pitch my thoughts to a higher or lower key. 1826, [Mary Shelley], chapter IV, in The Last Man. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC:
    • O, you are well tuned now! / But I'll set down the pegs that make this music, / As honest as I am. c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]:
  10. A step; a degree.
    • to screw papal authority to the highest peg a. 1678 (date written), Isaac Barrow, “(please specify the chapter name or sermon number)”, in The Works of Dr. Isaac Barrow. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to VII), London: A[braham] J[ohn] Valpy, […], published 1830–1831, →OCLC:
    • We still have worsted all your holy tricks; / Trepann'd your party with intrigue, / And took your grandees down a peg[…] 1662 (indicated as 1663), [Samuel Butler], “[The First Part of Hudibras]”, in Hudibras. The First and Second Parts. […], London: […] John Martyn and Henry Herringman, […], published 1678; republished in A[lfred] R[ayney] Waller, editor, Hudibras: Written in the Time of the Late Wars, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: University Press, 1905, →OCLC:
  11. (abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis) Ellipsis of clothes peg.
  12. A topic of interest, such as an ongoing event or an anniversary, around which various features can be developed.
    • Journalists and prospective sources wishing to attract their attention are constantly on the lookout for pegs. The process by which a peg is identified is informed by news values. 2010, Barbie Zelizer, Stuart Allan, Keywords in News and Journalism Studies, page 111:
    • […] all news media keep a supply of features on hand, waiting for a peg to make them topical. 2004, Herbert J. Gans, Deciding What's News:
  13. (slang) A stump.
    • Lindy hit the pegs with five deliveries out of six. 1961, Colin McCool, Cricket is a Game, page 123:
  14. (slang) The penetration during anal sex using a strap-on dildo.
    • Get your strap-on out and give me a nice peg!
  15. (archaic, slang) A serving of brandy and soda.
    • I then ordered a "peg" (brandy-and-soda) to be brought to my tent, and returned to have a smoke before turning in again. 1894, Arthur Travers Crawford, Reminiscences of an Indian Police Official, page 183:
  16. (India) A serving of any hard spirit, particularly whisky.
    • This is the sort of drinking that Anna Hazare fought to eradicate from Ralegan Siddhi, as Colonel Phatak explained, after I joked about an army man needing his evening peg of whisky before dinner. 2008 September 2, Daniel Lak, India Express: The Future of the New Superpower, St. Martin's Press, →ISBN:
  17. (UK, obsolete, slang) A shilling.
    • The price of a case (five shillings piece bad) from the smasher is about one shilling; an alderman (two and sixpence) about sixpence; a peg (shilling) about threepence; a downer or sprat (sixpence) about twopence. 1859, Snowden's magistrates assistant, page 90:
  18. An easily recalled image that a person mentally visualizes with something else, in order to remember that other thing. See mnemonic peg system.
    • To remember this list of early psychologists, you recall each peg along with its image of an early psychologist that you placed there. 2013, Rod Plotnik, Haig Kouyoumdjian, Introduction to Psychology:
    • Multiple items can be stored at each location or with each peg. 2023, W. Scott Terry, Learning and Memory: Basic Principles, Processes, and Procedures, page 168:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
pegs Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

pull someone down a peg · peg tankard · peglike · peglet · peg-tops · peg float · peg boy · peg-fiched · clothespeg · pegbox · tent peg · shoepeg · peg-leg · square peg in a round hole · nose peg · pegboard · peg-strip · peg warmer · peg house · pegroots · clothes peg · move down a peg · crawling peg · pail · peg ladder · knock down a peg · gim-peg · hatpeg · puzzle-peg · tuning peg · peg element · turtle peg · peg in the ring · screw peg · pegtop · bring down a peg · peg dope · mumblety peg · pegless · peg-a-lantern · peghead · peg-and-socket joint · cobbler's pegs · footpeg · take down a peg · between the pegs

Synonyms

shot

Translations (159)

gl galla (a protrusion used to hang things on) · fr patère (a protrusion used to hang things on) · es perro (clothes peg) · de Klammer (clothes peg) · sv grad (a step, a degree) · sv pinne (a cylindrical object) · cs věšáček (a protrusion used to hang things on) · it tassello (a cylindrical object) · tr ağaç çivi (a cylindrical object) · de Haltestift (a protrusion used to hang things on) · fi naula (a protrusion used to hang things on) · ga fídeog (a small quantity of a strong alcoholic beverage) · ota چیوی (a cylindrical object) · ca agulla d'estendre (clothes peg) · ca clavilla (pin on a musical instrument) · ko(a protrusion used to hang things on) · fi tappi (a protrusion used to hang things on) · ru коло́к (pin on a musical instrument) · de Stift (a cylindrical object) · gl tranqueiro (a protrusion used to hang things on) · de Stufe (a step, a degree) · gl aldrabilla (a protrusion used to hang things on) · gl chavella (a protrusion used to hang things on) · sv pligg (a cylindrical object) · it piolo (a cylindrical object) · it attaccapanni (a protrusion used to hang things on) · de Pinörkel (a protrusion used to hang things on) · de Währungsbindung (a fixed exchange rate) · de Stimmwirbel (pin on a musical instrument) · es colgador (a protrusion used to hang things on) · sv tapp (a cylindrical object) · de Mass (a step, a degree) · de Bindung (a fixed exchange rate) · fr cheville (a cylindrical object) · pl palik (a cylindrical object) · cmn 木釘 /木钉 (a cylindrical object) · ja 掛け釘 (a protrusion used to hang things on) · ko 말뚝 (a cylindrical object) · gl bío (a protrusion used to hang things on) · ca pinça (clothes peg) · ckb ھەپە (a cylindrical object) · it chiave (pin on a musical instrument) · alt илӱ (a protrusion used to hang things on) · es clavija (pin on a musical instrument) · bg случка (an event that triggers news coverage (journalism)) · ca penjador (a protrusion used to hang things on) · sv tapp (a protrusion used to hang things on) · ca clavilla (a cylindrical object) · ky илгич (a protrusion used to hang things on) · uk прищі́пка (clothes peg) · bg ключ (pin on a musical instrument) · de Thema (an event that triggers news coverage (journalism)) · ar وَتَد (a cylindrical object) · bg колче (a cylindrical object) · grc πάσσαλος (a protrusion used to hang things on) · pt pregador (a protrusion used to hang things on) · is snagi (a protrusion used to hang things on) · ru ко́лышек (a cylindrical object) · sv stift (a cylindrical object) · gl chavella (a cylindrical object) · de Holzdübel (a cylindrical object) · es pinza de la ropa (clothes peg) · it molletta da bucato (clothes peg) · de Kursstützung (a fixed exchange rate) · be прышчэ́пка (clothes peg) · ca didalet (a small quantity of a strong alcoholic beverage) · de Wirbel (pin on a musical instrument) · sv klypa (clothes peg) · es perchero (a protrusion used to hang things on) · de Grad (a step, a degree) · it cavicchio (pin on a musical instrument) · bg стъпало (a step, a degree) · sv steg (a step, a degree) · it caviglia (pin on a musical instrument) · cs háček (a protrusion used to hang things on) · de Schuss (a small quantity of a strong alcoholic beverage) · de Haken (a protrusion used to hang things on) · tr pim (peg moved on a crib board to keep score (cribbage)) · de Stift (a protrusion used to hang things on) · sv stämskruv (pin on a musical instrument) · alt илмек (a protrusion used to hang things on) · es clavija (a cylindrical object) · ru крючо́к (a protrusion used to hang things on) · es gancho (clothes peg) · es gancho (an event that triggers news coverage (journalism)) · bg ниво (a step, a degree) · de Zapfen (a cylindrical object) · de Stöpsel (a cylindrical object) · es pinza (clothes peg) · it pirolo (pin on a musical instrument) · gl torno (a cylindrical object) · ky илмек (a protrusion used to hang things on) · bg щипка (clothes peg) · de Pflock (a cylindrical object) · mk ко́лче (a cylindrical object) · it molletta (clothes peg) · pl kołek (a cylindrical object) · de Haltestift (a cylindrical object) · de Pinorrek (a protrusion used to hang things on) · es tarugo (a cylindrical object) · it bischero (pin on a musical instrument) · cmn 楔子 (a cylindrical object) · zza pim (peg moved on a crib board to keep score (cribbage)) · mk шти́пка (clothes peg) · eu kako (a protrusion used to hang things on) · de Huthaken (a protrusion used to hang things on) · sv hack (a step, a degree) · ru ве́шалка (a protrusion used to hang things on) · bg закачалка (a protrusion used to hang things on) · pt cravelha (pin on a musical instrument) · pl klamerka (clothes peg) · ca ganxo (an event that triggers news coverage (journalism)) · sv skruv (pin on a musical instrument) · es palillo (clothes peg) · ota وتد (a cylindrical object) · ja ペグ (a protrusion used to hang things on) · mi titi (a protrusion used to hang things on) · ja(a protrusion used to hang things on) · sv snäpp (a step, a degree) · fi tappi (a cylindrical object) · km ថ្ពក់ (a protrusion used to hang things on) · bg фиксиран курс (a fixed exchange rate) · bg шот (a small quantity of a strong alcoholic beverage) · de Aufmacher (an event that triggers news coverage (journalism)) · zza maşek (a protrusion used to hang things on) · de Stift (peg moved on a crib board to keep score (cribbage)) · sv knarv (a protrusion used to hang things on) · pl spinacz (clothes peg) · bg случай (an event that triggers news coverage (journalism)) · ca tap (a small quantity of a strong alcoholic beverage) · de Wäscheklammer (clothes peg) · sv klädnypa (clothes peg) · cmn 木樁 /木桩 (a cylindrical object) · fr porte-manteau (a protrusion used to hang things on) · ja 洗濯挟み (clothes peg) · ko 빨래집게 (clothes peg) · pt cavilha (a cylindrical object) · cmn 衣夾 /衣夹 (clothes peg) · bg равнище (a step, a degree) · fr cheville (pin on a musical instrument) · tr mandal (a protrusion used to hang things on) · de Thema (a small quantity of a strong alcoholic beverage) · gl caravilla (a protrusion used to hang things on) · ru прище́пка (clothes peg) · cmn 銷子 /销子 (a cylindrical object) · de Wäscheklammer (a protrusion used to hang things on) · ja(a cylindrical object) · pt gancho (an event that triggers news coverage (journalism)) · ba элгес (a protrusion used to hang things on) · es broches (clothes peg) · de Kleiderhaken (a protrusion used to hang things on) · eo kejlo (a cylindrical object) · oc cavilha (a cylindrical object) · mk зака́чалка (a protrusion used to hang things on) · pt pregador (clothes peg) · pt prendedor (clothes peg) · cmn 衣夾 /衣夹 (a protrusion used to hang things on) · alt илгиш (a protrusion used to hang things on) · ca colpet (a small quantity of a strong alcoholic beverage)

Source: en.wiktionary, “peg” (noun), dump 20260902, contributors via the page history. Text licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

peg en · VERB

Pronunciation

  • [ˈpʰeɪ̯ɡ] Upper Midwestern US, Northwestern US, Canada
  • (US) audio
  • /ˈpɛɡ/
  • [ˈpʰɛɡ]
  • /ˈpeɪ̯ɡ/ Upper Midwestern US, Northwestern US, Canada

Etymology

From Middle English pegge, from Middle Dutch pegge (“pin, peg”), from Old Dutch *pigg-, *pegg-, from Proto-Germanic *pig-, *pag- (“peg, stake”), from Proto-Indo-European *bak-, *baḱ- (“club, pointed stick, peg”). Cognate with Dutch dialectal peg (“pin”), Low German pig, pigge (“peg, stick with a point”), Low German pegel (“post, stake”), Swedish pigg (“tooth, spike”), Danish pig (“spike”), Norwegian Bokmål pigg (“spike”), Irish bac (“stick, crook”), Latin baculum (“staff”), Latvian bakstît (“to poke”), Ancient Greek βάκτρον (báktron, “staff, walking stick”). Related to beak. This is one of the very few English words that begin with a p and come from Proto-Germanic. Proto-Germanic *p, when not in a consonant cluster beginning with *s, developed by Grimm's law from the Proto-Indo-European consonant *b, which was very rare. (To indicate or ascribe an attribute to): Assumed to originate from the use of pegs or pins as markers on a bulletin board or a list.

Meanings

  1. (transitive) To fasten using a peg.
    • Let's peg the rug to the floor.
  2. (transitive) To affix or pin.
    • I found a tack and pegged your picture to the bulletin board.
    • She lunged forward and pegged him to the wall.
  3. (transitive) To fix a value or price.
    • China's currency is no longer pegged to the American dollar.
    • Wages absorbed 80% of the total revenue (which was inescapable), and they were rising at almost twice the rate of fares, which were pegged by law. 2023 March 8, Howard Johnston, “Was Marples the real railway wrecker?”, in RAIL, number 978, page 51:
  4. (transitive) To narrow the cuff openings of a pair of pants so that the legs take on a peg shape.
  5. (slang, transitive) To throw.
  6. (transitive) To throw a ball at (someone), to hit (someone) with a ball.
  7. (slang, transitive) To indicate or ascribe an attribute to; to classify or pigeonhole someone.
    • I pegged his weight at 165.
    • You got me pegged wrong, Captain. 2015 November 23, Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, “Dulcinea”, in The Expanse, season 1, episode 1, spoken by Jim Holden (Steven Strait):
    • The man had me pegged—I was already planning to visit the next day, having received a similar tip from multiple friends. 2026 June 14, Katie Thornton, “Love Language: The undying dream of Esperanto”, in Harper's Magazine, →ISSN:
    • He's been pegged as a suspect.
    • Bolan pegged his weight somewhere around 150 pounds. If he was armed, the weapon wasn't showing. Still, the Executioner would take no chances. 1997, Don Pendletone, Patriot Gambit, page 84:
  8. (qualifier:cribbage) To move one's pegs to indicate points scored; to score with a peg.
    • She pegged twelve points.
  9. (slang, transitive) To reach or exceed the maximum value on (a scale or gauge).
    • We pegged the speedometer across the flats.
  10. (slang, transitive) To engage in anal sex by penetrating with a strap-on dildo.
    • When you're pegging him and he gets close to orgasm, you'll observe a number of physical signs […] 2007, Violet Blue, The Adventurous Couple's Guide to Strap-On Sex, →ISBN, page 32:
  11. (intransitive) To keep working hard at something; to peg away.
    • For more than the period of his splendid service in India, which the country was not slow to acknowledge, the Volunteers had kept pegging at it, despite all the official obstacles thrown in the way […] 1911, William Montgomerie Lamont, Volunteer memories, page 160:
  12. (archaic, slang) To drink alcohol frequently, especially brandy and soda; to tipple.
  13. (UK, obsolete, slang, transitive) To drive (a hackney carriage).
    • I was pegging a hack when the horse started limping. I got down to see if he'd picked up a stone and he lashed out at me. 2014, Robert Newman, The Case of the Somerville Secret:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
pegged Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
pegged Tense=Past lexicographic
pegging Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
pegs Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic

Deriveds

peg out · level pegging · mispeg · peggable · pegging · peg it · depeg · peggee · repeg · pegged pants · unpeg · peg the needle · pegger · peg down

Relateds

cunt · wedge · cunny · compare Latin cuneus · compare Latin cunnus · muggins (cribbage)

Synonyms

quoit · fling · toss · feck · peck · pick · throw · whang · hurl · dump · thrill · huck · whop · whip · cast · yeet · hurl · precipitate · dash · heave · chuck · project · warp · traject · lob · peg · bung · shy · hield · sling · chunk · hoy · slight · launch · skew · wing · hurtle · pitch · jerk · fling · cook

Translations (51)

es motejar (to indicate or ascribe an attribute to) · fr cataloguer comme (to indicate or ascribe an attribute to) · de schätzen (to indicate or ascribe an attribute to) · ca etiquetar (to indicate or ascribe an attribute to) · mi mātiti (to fasten using a peg) · ca llançar (to throw) · tr tahmin etmek (to indicate or ascribe an attribute to) · fr cheviller (to fasten using a peg) · es encasillar (to indicate or ascribe an attribute to) · de klammern (to fasten using a peg) · bg забивам (to fasten using a peg) · es catalogar (to indicate or ascribe an attribute to) · bg превъртя (slang: to reach or exceed the maximum value on a scale or gauge) · fr cheviller (slang: to penetrate in anal sex with a dildo) · tr atmak (to throw) · de werfen (to throw) · mi karatiti (to fasten using a peg) · zza pa tepışten (to affix or pin) · sv häfta (to affix or pin) · de einordnen (to indicate or ascribe an attribute to) · es tildar (to indicate or ascribe an attribute to) · tr asmak (to fasten using a peg) · mi makatiti (to fasten using a peg) · mr पेग करणे (slang: to penetrate in anal sex with a dildo) · pt cavilhar (to fasten using a peg) · ca fixar (to fasten using a peg) · es fijar (to fix a price or value) · zza anc kerden (to narrow the cuff openings of a pair of pants) · de schätzen (cribbage: to move one's pegs to indicate points scored) · zza avısten (to fasten using a peg) · fr épingler (to affix or pin) · sv pligga (to fasten using a peg) · fr fixer (to fix a price or value) · fr mettre sur le dos (to indicate or ascribe an attribute to) · de anklammern (to affix or pin) · es tachar (to indicate or ascribe an attribute to) · mi karatiti (to affix or pin) · tr tutturmak (to affix or pin) · bg превъртам (slang: to reach or exceed the maximum value on a scale or gauge) · bg забия (to fasten using a peg) · es etiquetar (to indicate or ascribe an attribute to) · es tener por (to indicate or ascribe an attribute to) · fr lancer avec force (to throw) · ca subjectar (to fasten using a peg) · tr tahmin etmek (cribbage: to move one's pegs to indicate points scored) · bg фиксирам (to fix a price or value) · bg защипвам (to fasten using a peg) · bg закрепвам (to affix or pin) · ca fixar (to fix a price or value) · ca fixar (to affix or pin) · zza tepışten (to fix a price or value)