PLUG


Meaning of PLUG in English

I. plug 1 S3 /plʌɡ/ BrE AmE noun [countable]

[ Date: 1600-1700 ; Language: Dutch ; Origin: Middle Dutch plugge ]

1 . ELECTRICITY

a) a small object at the end of a wire that is used for connecting a piece of electrical equipment to the main supply of electricity:

The plug on my iron needs changing.

an electric plug

b) especially British English informal a place on a wall where electrical equipment can be connected to the main electricity supply SYN socket , outlet American English

2 . BATH a round flat piece of rubber used for stopping the water flowing out of a bath or ↑ sink :

the bath plug

3 . ADVERTISEMENT informal a way of advertising a book, film etc by mentioning it publicly, especially on television or radio

put/get in a plug (for something)

During the show she managed to put in a plug for her new book.

4 . IN AN ENGINE informal the part of a petrol engine that makes a ↑ spark , which makes the petrol start burning SYN spark plug :

Change the plugs every 10,000 miles.

5 . pull the plug (on something) informal to prevent a plan, business etc from being able to continue, especially by deciding not to give it any more money:

The Swiss entrepreneur has pulled the plug on any further investment in the firm.

6 . TO FILL A HOLE an object or substance that is used to fill or block a hole, tube etc

plug of

You can fill any holes with plugs of matching wood.

⇨ ↑ earplug

7 . FOR HOLDING SCREWS British English a small plastic tube put in a hole to hold a screw tightly

8 . A PIECE OF SOMETHING a piece of something pressed tightly together:

a plug of tobacco

II. plug 2 BrE AmE verb ( past tense and past participle plugged , present participle plugging ) [transitive]

1 . ( also plug up ) to fill or block a small hole:

We used mud to plug up the holes in the roof.

2 . to advertise a book, film etc by mentioning it on television or radio:

Arnie was on the show to plug his new movie.

3 . plug the gap to provide something that is needed, because there is not enough:

With so few trained doctors, paramedics were brought in to plug the gap.

4 . American English old-fashioned to shoot someone

plug away phrasal verb

to keep working hard at something

plug away at

If you keep plugging away at it, your English will improve.

plug something ↔ in phrasal verb

to connect a piece of electrical equipment to the main supply of electricity, or to another piece of electrical equipment:

‘Is your printer working?’ ‘Wait a minute – it’s not plugged in.’

plug into something phrasal verb

1 . plug (something) into something to connect one piece of electrical equipment to another, or to be connected:

Your phone can be plugged into the cigarette lighter socket in your car.

Games consoles plug into the back of the TV.

2 . informal to realize that something is available to be used and use it:

A lot of students don’t plug into all the research facilities we have.

• • •

THESAURUS

▪ advertise verb [intransitive and transitive] to tell people about a product or service and try to persuade them to buy it, for example in a newspaper, television, or Internet advertisement:

Some universities advertise on television.

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She has signed a deal to advertise the company's haircare products.

▪ promote verb [transitive] to try to increase the sales or popularity of a product or event, for example by selling it at a lower price or talking about it on television:

He's in London to promote his new album.

▪ market verb [transitive] to try to sell a product or service by deciding which type of people are likely to buy it and by making it interesting to them:

The collection is being marketed as clothing for climbers and skiers.

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Most companies have agreed not to market products to children under 12.

▪ publicize ( also publicise British English ) verb [transitive] to tell the public about something by writing about it in newspapers, speaking about it on television etc:

He had done a lot of interviews to publicize his new book.

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The hostages' case has been widely publicized.

▪ hype verb [transitive] informal to try to make people think something is good or important by advertising or talking about it a lot on television, the radio etc. Hype is often used when you do not trust the information:

The boxing match was being hyped as the biggest fight of the decade.

▪ plug verb [transitive] informal to advertise a book, film etc by talking about it on television or radio:

Marc was on the show to plug his new play.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.      Longman - Словарь современного английского языка.