PLUG (plugged, plugging)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected forms: plugged    , plugging   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does plug mean? 

• PLUG (noun)
  The noun PLUG has 7 senses:

1. blockage consisting of an object designed to fill a hole tightly

2. a wad of something chewable as tobacco

3. blatant or sensational promotion

4. electrical device that fits into the cylinder head of an internal-combustion engine and ignites the gas by means of an electric spark

5. an electrical device with two or three pins that is inserted in a socket to make an electrical connection

6. an upright hydrant for drawing water to use in fighting a fire

7. an old or over-worked horse

  Familiarity information: PLUG used as a noun is common.

• PLUG (verb)
  The verb PLUG has 7 senses:

1. fill or close tightly with or as if with a plug

2. persist in working hard

3. deliver a quick blow to

4. make a plug for; praise the qualities or in order to sell or promote

5. replace the center of a coin with a baser metal

6. insert a plug into

7. insert as a plug

  Familiarity information: PLUG used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PLUG (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Blockage consisting of an object designed to fill a hole tightly

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

plug; stopper; stopple

Hypernyms ("plug" is a kind of...):

block; blockage; closure; occlusion; stop; stoppage (an obstruction in a pipe or tube)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "plug"):

bung; spile (a plug used to close a hole in a barrel or flask)

bottle cork; cork (the plug in the mouth of a bottle (especially a wine bottle))

drainplug (a removable plug for holding water in a tub or basin)

earplug (a plug of cotton, wax, or rubber that is fitted into the ear canal for protection against the entry of water or loud noise)

fipple (a wooden plug forming a flue pipe (as the mouthpiece of a recorder))

tampion; tompion (plug for the muzzle of a gun to keep out dust and moisture)

tampon (plug of cotton or other absorbent material; inserted into wound or body cavity to absorb exuded fluids (especially blood))

spigot; tap (a plug for a bunghole in a cask)

Derivation:

plug (fill or close tightly with or as if with a plug)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A wad of something chewable as tobacco

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Synonyms:

chaw; chew; cud; plug; quid; wad

Hypernyms ("plug" is a kind of...):

bit; bite; morsel (a small amount of solid food; a mouthful)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Blatant or sensational promotion

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

ballyhoo; hoopla; hype; plug

Hypernyms ("plug" is a kind of...):

packaging; promo; promotion; promotional material; publicity (a message issued in behalf of some product or cause or idea or person or institution)

Derivation:

plug (make a plug for; praise the qualities or in order to sell or promote)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Electrical device that fits into the cylinder head of an internal-combustion engine and ignites the gas by means of an electric spark

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

plug; spark plug; sparking plug

Hypernyms ("plug" is a kind of...):

electrical device (a device that produces or is powered by electricity)

Holonyms ("plug" is a part of...):

ignition; ignition system (the mechanism that ignites the fuel in an internal-combustion engine)

Sense 5

Meaning:

An electrical device with two or three pins that is inserted in a socket to make an electrical connection

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

male plug; plug

Hypernyms ("plug" is a kind of...):

electrical device (a device that produces or is powered by electricity)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "plug"):

phone plug; telephone plug (a plug for connecting a telephone)

Sense 6

Meaning:

An upright hydrant for drawing water to use in fighting a fire

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

fire hydrant; fireplug; plug

Hypernyms ("plug" is a kind of...):

hydrant (a discharge pipe with a valve and spout at which water may be drawn from the mains of waterworks)

Sense 7

Meaning:

An old or over-worked horse

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Synonyms:

hack; jade; nag; plug

Hypernyms ("plug" is a kind of...):

Equus caballus; horse (solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times)

• PLUG (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they plug    ... he / she / it plugs   
Past simple: plugged   
Past participle: plugged   
-ing form: plugging   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Fill or close tightly with or as if with a plug

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

plug; secure; stop up

Context example:

stop up the leak

Hypernyms (to "plug" is one way to...):

close; fill up (fill or stop up)

"Plug" entails doing...:

enter; infix; insert; introduce (put or introduce into something)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "plug"):

stopper; stopple (close or secure with or as if with a stopper)

tampon (plug with a tampon)

chink (fill the chinks of, as with caulking)

cork; cork up (close a bottle with a cork)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

plug (blockage consisting of an object designed to fill a hole tightly)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Persist in working hard

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

plug; plug away

Context example:

Students must plug away at this problem

Hypernyms (to "plug" is one way to...):

hang in; hang on; hold on; persevere; persist (be persistent, refuse to stop)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sense 3

Meaning:

Deliver a quick blow to

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

plug; punch

Context example:

he punched me in the stomach

Hypernyms (to "plug" is one way to...):

hit (deal a blow to, either with the hand or with an instrument)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Sentence example:

Sam and Sue plug the movie

Sense 4

Meaning:

Make a plug for; praise the qualities or in order to sell or promote

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "plug" is one way to...):

advertise; advertize; promote; push (make publicity for; try to sell (a product))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sentence example:

Sam and Sue plug the movie

Derivation:

plug (blatant or sensational promotion)

plugger (someone who is an active supporter and advocate)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Replace the center of a coin with a baser metal

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

plug a nickle

Hypernyms (to "plug" is one way to...):

enclose; inclose; insert; introduce; put in; stick in (place, fit, or thrust (something) into another thing)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 6

Meaning:

Insert a plug into

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

plug the wall

Hypernyms (to "plug" is one way to...):

enclose; inclose; insert; introduce; put in; stick in (place, fit, or thrust (something) into another thing)

Verb group:

plug (insert as a plug)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 7

Meaning:

Insert as a plug

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

She plugged a cork in the wine bottle

Hypernyms (to "plug" is one way to...):

enclose; inclose; insert; introduce; put in; stick in (place, fit, or thrust (something) into another thing)

Verb group:

plug (insert a plug into)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something PP

 Context examples 

Will come without fail to-night and bring new sparking plugs.—ALTAMONT.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Glaciers such as Pine Island act as plugs that regulate the speed at which the ice sheet flows into the sea.

(Previously unsuspected volcanic activity confirmed under West Antarctic Ice Sheet at Pine Island Glacier, National Science Foundation)

Having a black or dark core or plug.

(Comedo, NCI Thesaurus)

I don’t care a plug which you do.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Not being able to smoke, he cut himself a good-sized plug of tobacco and began to chew.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

“Stop it from without!” cried Hawtayne, seizing the end of the wet sail with which the gap had been plugged.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Tobacco, in the form of a plug, usually flavored, for chewing rather than smoking.

(Chewing tobacco, NCI Thesaurus)

A closure that incorporates a specific molded-in feature such as rings, plugs or flexible sections.

(Linerless Plastic Container Closure, Food and Drug Administration)

The period of time prior to the beginning of childbirth labor; common signs and symptoms include nesting, anxiety, excitement, loss of mucous plug, increased urinary frequency and loose bowel movements.

(Impending Labor, NCI Thesaurus)

“If we could pull the plug on the oceans, it would be clear to everybody that we have mountain chains and a big, high-standing continent,” he told TVNZ.

(Researchers Argue for Eighth Continent: Zealandia, VOA)