rug
noun
a thick fabric for covering part of a floor, often woven of wool and often having an oblong shape with a border design.
rug
American
[ruhg]
/ rʌg /
noun
-
rugs
plural
-
a thick fabric for covering part of a floor, often woven of wool and often having an oblong shape with a border design.
-
the treated skin of an animal, used as a floor covering.
a bear rug.
-
Chiefly British. a piece of thick, warm cloth, used as a coverlet, lap robe, etc.
-
Slang. toupee; hairpiece.
idioms
rug
1
British
/ rʌɡ /
noun
-
a floor covering, smaller than a carpet and made of thick wool or of other material, such as an animal skin
-
a blanket, esp one used as a wrap or lap robe for travellers
-
slang a wig
-
to betray, expose, or leave defenceless
RUG
2
British
abbreviation
rug
More Idioms
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of rug
1545–55; < Old Norse rǫgg wool, long hairs; compare Norwegian rugga covering of coarse wool, Swedish rugg coarse hair
Explanation
A rug is something made of woven fabric that covers a floor. If your downstairs neighbor is complaining about the noise, try buying a rug. A rug is smaller than a carpet, which usually covers a room's entire floor — rugs leave parts of the floor exposed. Some are thick and dense, providing a cushiony area for walking or sitting. Rug also informally means "wig or toupee," so you could say, "Did you see that guy's terrible blonde rug?" And if you want to pretend something didn't happen, you'll have to colloquially "sweep it under the rug," or hide it.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
But I have somehow assembled enough glittering people and enough secondhand objects — a woven rug, cushions, low tables, an impossible number of candles — that it feels like a tiny seventh-floor pop-up restaurant.
From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2026
Meanwhile, Eric pulls them around on a rug he rigged as a magic carpet and helps stack the blocks into towers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
“Imagine rug pulling your own base,” said one Reddit user in a post on the r/CryptoCurrency subreddit.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026
"But Korea had the courage to look what it had done straight in the eye" while "Denmark prefers to sweep everything under the rug," he said.
From Barron's ● Jun. 4, 2026
I let the rug fall back into place and go to the door, pressing an ear to the wood before I turn the lock.
From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron
A RUG Made of narrow strips of cotton cloth.
From Construction Work for Rural and Elementary Schools by Virginia McGaw
In the co-ed house, residents share kitchen duties, rotating bathroom assignments, and a deep-cleaning every six weeks: baseboards, rugs, stairs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026
Colorful rugs and artworks help to add a vibrant feel to a den space, which features a built-in fireplace, while a variety of textures bring a fresh perspective to the open-plan design.
From MarketWatch ● May 26, 2026
Among the pieces available were a vintage chest, tables, and chair, antique mirrors, hand-knotted rugs, a striped fabric tuxedo sofa, upholstered wing back chairs, “lots of fun lamps and chandeliers,” and several leather chairs.
From MarketWatch ● May 18, 2026
They also have English Staffordshire porcelain dog and giraffe figurines, vintage British and French Majolica plates, and lamps and rugs they found on Etsy, EBay and at auctions.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 18, 2026
Every single piece of furniture was covered in pink fabric—the kitchen cabinets were painted pink, the wood floors were covered in pink patterned rugs, and the couch was worn pink velvet.
From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
