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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

tow en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

  • (General-American)
  • (Received-Pronunciation)
  • (Southern-England) audio
  • /təʊ/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /to/ (Scotland)
  • /toʊ/ (General-American)
  • /tou/ (Wales)

Etymology

From Middle English towen, from Old English togian (“to tow”), from Proto-West Germanic *togōn, from Proto-Germanic *tugōną (“to draw, pull”), from Proto-Indo-European *dewk- (“to draw, pull; to lead”). Cognates Cognate with German zögern (“to hesitate, pause”), Faroese and Icelandic toga (“to pull”), French touer (“to tow, tug a ship”); also Welsh dwyn (“to steal; to take; to bring to”), Latin dūcō (“to conduct, guide, lead; to take; to draw, pull; to consider, think; to prolong; to march; to forge”), Ancient Greek δαδύσσομαι (dadússomai, “to be distracted”), Albanian nduk (“to pluck out, pull out, tear”), Central Kurdish دۆشین (doşîn, “to milk”), Northern Kurdish dotin, doşîn, دۆشین (doşîn, “to milk”), Ossetian ду́цын (dúcyn, “to milk”), Pashto لوشل (lwašal, “to milk; to extort”), Persian دوشیدن (dōšīdan / dušidan), دوشتن (duštan), دوختن (dōxtan / duxtan, “to milk”). Related to tug.

Meanings

  1. The act of towing and the condition of being towed.
    • It isn't the car's battery; I think I need a tow.
  2. Something, such as a tugboat, that tows.
  3. Something, such as a barge, that is towed.
  4. A rope or cable used in towing.
  5. A speed increase given by driving in front of another car on a straight, which causes a slipstream for the car behind.
    • On Saturday, Vettel was very unhappy with Leclerc's failure to work out a way through the traffic and give him a tow for the second runs in qualifying, as had been agreed. 2019 September 8, Andrew Benson, BBC Sport:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
tows Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

tow hitch · ski tow · tow ring · on tow · tow truck · under tow · tow iron · tow rope · towy · in tow · tow bar · undertow

Translations (50)

nl trekkabel (cable used in towing) · es cable (cable used in towing) · nl sleeptouw (cable used in towing) · es remolque (something that tows) · es remolcador (something that tows) · pl hol (cable used in towing) · fr corde de remorquage (cable used in towing) · ru тяга́ч (something that tows) · pt reboque (act of towing) · cs odtažení (act of towing) · de Schlepptau (cable used in towing) · pt reboque (something that is towed) · ru букси́р (something that tows) · cs vlečení (act of towing) · bg теглене (act of towing) · pt rebocador (something that tows) · de Tau (cable used in towing) · fi hinausköysi (cable used in towing) · ru буксиро́вка (act of towing) · el ρυμούλκηση (act of towing) · it traino (something that is towed) · cs tažení (act of towing) · pl holowanie (act of towing) · es remolque (something that is towed) · lv vilkšana (act of towing) · bg буксирно въже (cable used in towing) · fr câble de remorquage (cable used in towing) · lv vilcējs (something that tows) · gl remolque (act of towing) · fr remorquage (act of towing) · es cabo (cable used in towing) · bg буксир (act of towing) · fi hinaaja (something that tows) · de Schleppen (act of towing) · it rimorchio (something that is towed) · cs vlečné lano (cable used in towing) · de Schlepper (something that tows) · ru буксиро́вочный трос (cable used in towing) · fi hinattava (something that is towed) · lv virve (cable used in towing) · de Abschleppen (act of towing) · cs tahač (something that tows) · cs remorkér (something that tows) · fi hinaus (act of towing) · mk вле́чење (act of towing) · es remolque (cable used in towing) · es remolque (act of towing) · pt reboque (something that tows) · el ρυμουλκό (something that tows) · de Seil (cable used in towing)

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

tow en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

  • (General-American)
  • (Received-Pronunciation)
  • (Southern-England) audio
  • /təʊ/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /to/ (Scotland)
  • /toʊ/ (General-American)
  • /tou/ (Wales)

Etymology

From Middle English towen, from Old English togian (“to tow”), from Proto-West Germanic *togōn, from Proto-Germanic *tugōną (“to draw, pull”), from Proto-Indo-European *dewk- (“to draw, pull; to lead”). Cognates Cognate with German zögern (“to hesitate, pause”), Faroese and Icelandic toga (“to pull”), French touer (“to tow, tug a ship”); also Welsh dwyn (“to steal; to take; to bring to”), Latin dūcō (“to conduct, guide, lead; to take; to draw, pull; to consider, think; to prolong; to march; to forge”), Ancient Greek δαδύσσομαι (dadússomai, “to be distracted”), Albanian nduk (“to pluck out, pull out, tear”), Central Kurdish دۆشین (doşîn, “to milk”), Northern Kurdish dotin, doşîn, دۆشین (doşîn, “to milk”), Ossetian ду́цын (dúcyn, “to milk”), Pashto لوشل (lwašal, “to milk; to extort”), Persian دوشیدن (dōšīdan / dušidan), دوشتن (duštan), دوختن (dōxtan / duxtan, “to milk”). Related to tug.

Meanings

  1. (transitive) To pull something behind one, such as by using a line, chain, or tongue.
    • In its current specification it cannot be driven and must be towed to its work location by a locomotive. 2022 September 7, “At the cutting edge of NR's track work”, in RAIL, number 965, page 40, photo caption:
    • Near-synonyms: draw, haul, pull, trail
  2. (qualifier:running, usually) To aid someone behind by shielding them from wind resistance.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
towed Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
towed Tense=Past lexicographic
towing Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
tows Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic

Deriveds

betow · heretog · aerotow · towable · towtruck · towball · tower · towaway · towship · untowed · towline · towrope · towboat · towback · townet · towfish · towee · towbody · towmaster · wantoe · towage · towpath

Descendants

towio

Synonyms

draw · trail · pull · haul

Translations (43)

gl halar (pull something using a line) · gl abordelar (pull something using a line) · ru тащи́ть (pull something using a line) · sk vliecť (pull something using a line) · mi taki (pull something using a line) · mt rmonka (pull something using a line) · mi(pull something using a line) · fr tracter (pull something using a line) · fi hinata (pull something using a line) · gl solear (pull something using a line) · ota یدمك (pull something using a line) · gl toar (pull something using a line) · gl remolcar (pull something using a line) · cs táhnout (pull something using a line) · fr remorquer (pull something using a line) · it rimorchiare (pull something using a line) · ca remolcar (pull something using a line) · mi pārete (pull something using a line) · pl holować (pull something using a line) · ko 끌다 (pull something using a line) · cmn(pull something using a line) · cmn(pull something using a line) · de ziehen (pull something using a line) · hu vontat (pull something using a line) · sv bogsera (pull something using a line) · ast remolcar (pull something using a line) · de schleppen (pull something using a line) · es tractar (pull something using a line) · de treideln (pull something using a line) · cmn(pull something using a line) · tr yedekte çekmek (pull something using a line) · sk ťahať (pull something using a line) · ru букси́ровать (pull something using a line) · es remolcar (pull something using a line) · ceb guyod (pull something using a line) · it trainare (pull something using a line) · el ρυμουλκώ (pull something using a line) · gd slaod (pull something using a line) · ru тяну́ть (pull something using a line) · pt rebocar (pull something using a line) · cs vléci (pull something using a line) · de abschleppen (pull something using a line) · bg тегля (pull something using a line)

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

tow en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

  • (General-American)
  • (Southern-England) audio
  • (Received-Pronunciation)
  • (Southern-England) audio
  • /təʊ/ (Received-Pronunciation)
  • /toʊ/ (General-American)
  • tou rare, some parts of the UK and Australia
  • /taʊ/ rare, some parts of the UK and Australia

Etymology

From Middle English touw, from Old English tow- (“spinning”) (in compounds, e.g. towcræft, towhūs, towlic), from Proto-Germanic *tawwą; compare Old Norse tó (“uncleansed wool”), Dutch touw (“rope”). Perhaps cognate with Old English tawian (“prepare for use”), Gothic 𐍄𐌰𐌿𐌾𐌰𐌽 (taujan, “do, make”).

Meanings

  1. (countable, uncountable) An untwisted bundle of fibres such as cellulose acetate, flax, hemp or jute.
    • Meanwhile the farmer's wife was at home all alone, and while she was sitting and spinning her tow, she never noticed a Troll who had crept through the window into the next room, and was at the beer barrel drawing off the liquor into his copper kettle. 1828, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, volume I, London: William Harrison Ainsworth, page 187:
    • And the strong shall be as towe, and the maker of it as a sparke, and they shall both burne together, and none shall quench them. 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Isaiah 1:31:
  2. (countable, specifically, uncountable) The short, coarse, less desirable fibres separated by hackling from the finer longer fibres (line).

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
tows Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

tow haired · swingling tow · towhead · towheaded · tow linen · tow-haired · towsack · tow-colored · towy · towlike

Relateds

taw

Synonyms

hards · oakum

Translations (44)

el στουπί (bundle of fibers) · gl estopa (bundle of fibers) · sh kùčina (bundle of fibers) · de Hede (bundle of fibers) · io stupo (bundle of fibers) · pt estopa (bundle of fibers) · cs koudel (bundle of fibers) · nl werk (bundle of fibers) · lv pakulas (bundle of fibers) · fr filasse (bundle of fibers) · ota استوپی (bundle of fibers) · sk kúdeľ (bundle of fibers) · de Werg (bundle of fibers) · sk priadza (bundle of fibers) · eo stupo (bundle of fibers) · ang heorde (bundle of fibers) · gl tomento (bundle of fibers) · fi rohtimet (bundle of fibers) · uk кло́ччя (bundle of fibers) · nn stry (bundle of fibers) · pl pakuły (bundle of fibers) · ru куде́ль (bundle of fibers) · fr étoupe (bundle of fibers) · scn stuppa (bundle of fibers) · fy hjidde (bundle of fibers) · nl hede (bundle of fibers) · grc στυππεῖον (bundle of fibers) · br stoub (bundle of fibers) · bg кълчища (bundle of fibers) · eu iztupa (bundle of fibers) · co stoppa (bundle of fibers) · da blår (bundle of fibers) · it capecchio (bundle of fibers) · cy breisgion (bundle of fibers) · cy carth (bundle of fibers) · ro stupă (bundle of fibers) · sh ку̀чина (bundle of fibers) · sv blånor (bundle of fibers) · mi pūngahungahu (bundle of fibers) · sv drev (bundle of fibers) · nb stry (bundle of fibers) · ko 토우 (bundle of fibers) · ru па́кля (bundle of fibers) · mi ngai (bundle of fibers)