| 释义 |
tow
I. \ˈtō\ verb
(-ed/-ing/-s)
Etymology: Middle English towen, from Old English togian; akin to Old High German zogōn to tow, Old Norse toga; akin to Old English tēon to draw, pull, Old High German ziohan, Gothic tiuhan to draw, pull, Latin ducere to lead, draw, Greek daidussesthai to drag, Albanian nduk to pull out, pluck
transitive verb
1. : to drag or pull along : haul, propel
< tightening his hold on her wrist, he started through the … door, towing her along with him — Richard Burke >
< men … towed and tugged by a perpetually retreating objective — Claud Cockburn >
2.
a. : to draw (as a ship or a disabled car) or pull along behind by a rope or chain
< towed her into dry dock for repairs >
< towed the wrecked auto to the nearest garage >
< a transport plane towing gliders >
< more efficient for a tug to tow the ship — New York Times >
b. : to push along (as a string of canal or river barges) — used of a powerboat behind a tow
intransitive verb
: to move in tow
< piloting a ship that was towing into the river — Archie Binns >
< riding out of town with a couple of pack ponies towing along behind him — H.L.Davis >
Synonyms: see pull
II. noun
(-s)
Usage: often attributive
1. : a rope or chain for towing
< coal barges … snapped their tow in a storm — Joseph Mitchell >
2.
a. : the act or an instance of towing
< took a tow for the last few miles — Alan Villiers >
b. : the fact or state of being towed
< a damaged ship … in the tow of a tug — E.L.Beach >
3. : something towed: as
a. : a boat or barge in tow or requiring towing
b. : a string of barges lashed together and pushed (as on the Mississippi river and tributaries) by a towboat
< watched the other tow pass, the barges looming up in the night, and then the towboat — Richard Bissell >
< puffing tugs with tows of logs — American Guide Series: Washington >
< flying the left glider in our tow — J.W.Bellah >
4.
a. : something that tows (as a towboat or tugboat)
< two diesel-powered, screw-driven tows — Time >
b. : ski tow
5. : the specimens taken in a townet
< sorting out the desired food from a plankton tow — Ecology >
•
- in tow
III. noun
(-s)
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English tow- spinning; akin to Old Norse tō tuft of wool for spinning, Gothic taui work, doing, taujan to make, do — more at taw
1. : short broken fiber removed from flax, hemp, or jute during scutching or hackling and used for yarn, twine, stuffing
2. : hurds
3. : yarn or cloth made of tow — usually used attributively
< tow trousers >
< tow sack >
4. : a loose untwisted rope of textile filaments that is suitable for cutting into staple fiber
< rayon tow >
IV. noun
(-s)
Etymology: Middle English (Scots), probably from Old English toh- (in tohlīne towline); akin to Old Norse tog, taug rope, line, tow, Old English tēag rope, cord, togian to tow — more at tow I
1. archaic : an attached iron chain or link for drawing a plow
2. chiefly Scot & dialect England : rope: as
a. : a rope attached to a bell
b. : a ship's rope
c. : cable
d. : hangman's halter |