log

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   measuring instrument that consists of a float that trails from a ship by a knotted line in order to measure the ship's speed through the water

   The sailor tossed the log over the side of the ship.

2. 2
   noun

   a written record of events on a voyage, such as of a ship or plane

   I added the passing storm into the ship's log.

3. 3
   noun

   a written record of messages sent or received

   They kept a log of all transmission by the radio station.

4. 4
   noun

   the exponent required to produce a given number, short for logarithm

   The log of 8, with base 2, is 3.

5. 5
   noun

   a segment of the trunk of a tree when stripped of branches

   There were many logs floating in the river.

6. 6
   verb

   to enter into a log, as on ships and planes

   I logged our emergency trip to the island.

7. 7
   verb

   to cut lumber, as in woods and forests

   I spent my younger days logging pines in Alaska.

8. 8
   noun

   The trunk of a dead tree, cleared of branches.

   They walked across the stream on a fallen log.

Etymology

From Middle English logge, logg (first recorded in Anglo-Latin as loggum), of uncertain origin, but probably from Old Norse lóg, lág (“felled tree, log”), derived from Old Norse liggja (“to lie”). If so, then cognate with Norwegian låg (“fallen tree”), Dutch loog (“wood, timber, lumber”). Alternatively, directly from Norwegian låg (“fallen tree”), which could have been borrowed through the Norwegian timber trade. However the Old Norse/Middle Norwegian vowel is long while Middle English vowel is short.