tow

¹

[ toh ]

verb (used with object)

1. to pull or haul (a car, barge, trailer, etc.) by a rope, chain, or other device:

   The car was towed to the service station.

   Synonyms: tug, draw, trail

noun

1. an act or instance of towing.
2. something being towed.
3. something, as a boat or truck, that tows.
4. a rope, chain, metal bar, or other device for towing:

   The trailer is secured to the car by a metal tow.

5. ski tow.

tow

²

[ toh ]

noun

1. the fiber of flax, hemp, or jute prepared for spinning by beating.
2. the shorter, less desirable flax fibers separated from line fibers in combing.
3. synthetic filaments prior to spinning.

adjective

1. made of tow.

tow

³

[ toh ]

noun

, Scot.

1. a rope.

TOW

⁴

[ toh ]

noun

, Military.

1. a U.S. Army antitank missile, steered to its target by two thin wires connected to a computerized launcher, which is mounted on a vehicle or helicopter.

tow

¹

/ təʊ /

verb

1. tr to pull or drag (a vehicle, boat, etc), esp by means of a rope or cable

noun

1. the act or an instance of towing
2. the state of being towed (esp in the phrases in tow, under tow, on tow )
3. something towed
4. something used for towing
5. in tow
   in one's charge or under one's influence
6. informal.
   (in motor racing, etc) the act of taking advantage of the slipstream of another car (esp in the phrase get a tow )
7. short for ski tow

tow

²

/ təʊ /

noun

1. the fibres of hemp, flax, jute, etc, in the scutched state
2. synthetic fibres preparatory to spinning
3. the coarser fibres discarded after combing

Derived Forms

• ˈtowable, adjective
• ˈtowy, adjective

Other Words From

• towa·ble adjective
• towa·bili·ty noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of tow¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English verb touen, towe, Old English togian “to pull by force, drag, pull”; cognate with Middle High German zogen, German ziehen “to draw, tug, drag”; the noun is derivative of the verb; tug

Origin of tow²

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English tou, tow(e), tough “unworked flax,” Old English tōw- (in tōwlīc “pertaining to weaving,” tōwhūs “spinning house”); akin to Old Norse tō “wool”

Origin of tow³

First recorded in 1500–20; late Middle English (Scots); Old English toh- (in tohlīne “towline”); cognate with Old Norse tog “rope, line, towline”; tow ¹

Origin of tow⁴

First recorded in 1970–75; abbreviation of t(ube-launched), o(ptically-guided), w(ire-tracked missile)

Word History and Origins

Origin of tow¹

Old English togian; related to Old Frisian togia, Old Norse toga, Old High German zogōn

Origin of tow²

Old English tōw; related to Old Saxon tou, Old Norse tō tuft of wool, Dutch touwen to spin

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. in tow,
   1. in the state of being towed.
   2. under one's guidance; in one's charge.
   3. as a follower, admirer, or companion:

      a professor who always had a graduate student in tow.

2. under tow, in the condition of being towed; in tow.

More idioms and phrases containing tow

see in tow .

Example Sentences

The army is still towing away wrecked cars which were tossed around in the floodwaters.

From BBC

A study conducted in Mossel Bay, South Africa involved towing seal-shaped boards fitted with different configurations of lights behind a boat to see which attracted the most attention.

From BBC

Officers with CHP’s San Jose office posted photos on the social media site X, showing crews slowly dismantling the plane and placing it on a tow truck.

From Los Angeles Times

The “Dawson’s Creek” alum relocated from Beverly Hills to Texas this week with his wife, five kids and two dogs in tow after a harrowing 10 months.

From Los Angeles Times

He ascended with multiple passengers the day before, at the lakefront in Chicago, but a still day meant the balloon drifted barely three miles before being towed back.

From Salon

Related Words

• drag
• ferry
• haul
• lug
• tug