tow

B2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /toʊ/ UK /təʊ/ See IPA manual

Homophones

toe /toʊ/

Freq #8202

Meanings

1

verb
to pull a vehicle, boat, or other object behind another vehicle, usually with a rope or bar

A rescue boat came to tow the damaged yacht back to harbor.
2

noun
an act of towing, or a vehicle or vessel being pulled

The broken-down car needed a tow to the nearest garage.
3

noun
coarse, short fibers of flax, hemp, or jute prepared for spinning

The workers twisted the tow into rough cordage.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to pull a vehicle, boat, or... pull haul drag

2 noun · an act of towing, or a... towagehaul

3 noun · coarse, short fibers of... hards

Opposites

push

Word family

Forms towed

Derived forms towboattowlinetowpathtow truckundertow

Related forms tug haul oakum

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

tow truck
a truck equipped to lift or pull vehicles that cannot remain where they are

Noun + noun

Simplified etymology

Tow is an Old English word related to togen, “trained,” which appears in the Middle English formation wantowen, the ancestor of wanton. The source also connects tow with team, but does not give a fuller account of its early form or semantic development.

Etymology

The pulling verb comes from Old English togian 'to pull or drag,' a Germanic relative of tug. The fiber noun is a separate Old English word, tow, used in compounds for spinning and referring to uncleaned or coarse textile fibers. Their identical modern spelling is accidental.

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# tow

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** /toʊ/
**IPA (UK):** /təʊ/
**Frequency rank:** 8202

## Meanings
1. to pull a vehicle, boat, or other object behind another vehicle, usually with a rope or bar
2. an act of towing, or a vehicle or vessel being pulled
3. coarse, short fibers of flax, hemp, or jute prepared for spinning

## Examples
- A rescue boat came to tow the damaged yacht back to harbor.
- The broken-down car needed a tow to the nearest garage.
- The workers twisted the tow into rough cordage.

## Synonyms
- pull
- haul
- drag
- towage

## Antonyms
- push

## Derived Forms
- towboat
- towline
- towpath
- tow truck
- undertow

## Related Forms
- tug
- haul
- oakum

## Etymology
The pulling verb comes from Old English togian 'to pull or drag,' a Germanic relative of tug. The fiber noun is a separate Old English word, tow, used in compounds for spinning and referring to uncleaned or coarse textile fibers. Their identical modern spelling is accidental.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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tow