tow

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

tow, n. [OE. tow, AS. tow, akin to OD. touw, Icel. t 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.  [1913 Webster]

tow, v. t. [OE. towen, totoga to pull about, OHG. zogōn, Icel. toga, AS. tohline 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.  [1913 Webster]

tow, n. [Cf. Icel. taug a rope, from the same root as E. tow, v. t.].

•  A rope by which anything is towed; a towline, or towrope.  [1913 Webster]
•  The act of towing, or the state of being towed; -- chiefly used in the phrase, to take in tow, that is to tow.  [1913 Webster]
•  That which is towed, or drawn by a towline, as a barge, raft, collection of boats, ect.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

tow, v. & n.
--v.tr.
1 (of a motor vehicle, horse, or person controlling it) pull (a boat, another motor vehicle, a caravan, etc.) along by a rope, tow-bar, etc.
2 pull (a person or thing) along behind one.
--n. the act or an instance of towing; the state of being towed.

Idiom

have in (or on) tow
1 be towing.
2 be accompanied by and often in charge of (a person). tow-bar a bar for towing esp. a trailer or caravan. tow- (or towing-) line (or rope) a line etc. used in towing. tow- (or towing-) net a net used for dragging through water to collect specimens. tow- (or towing-) path a path beside a river or canal used for towing a boat by horse.

Derivative

towable adj. towage n.

tow, n.
1 the coarse and broken part of flax or hemp prepared for spinning.
2 a loose bunch of rayon etc. strands.

Idiom

tow-coloured (of hair) very light. tow-head tow-coloured or unkempt hair. tow-headed having very light or unkempt hair.

Derivative

towy adj.

Etymology

ME f. MLG touw f. OS tou, rel. to ON t{oacute} wool: cf. TOOL

ROGET THESAURUS

tow

Traction

VB draw, pull, haul, lug, rake, drag, tug, tow, trail, train, take in tow, wrench, jerk, twitch, touse, yank.