~ 1
■ noun
1》 a part of the trunk or a large branch of a tree that has fallen or been cut off.
2》 (also ~book ) an official record of events during the voyage of a ship or aircraft.
3》 an apparatus for determining the speed of a ship, originally one consisting of a float attached to a knotted line.
■ verb ( ~s , ~ging , ~ged )
1》 enter (something) in a ~.
↘achieve (a certain distance, speed, or time).
2》 ( ~ in/on or off/out ) go through the procedures to begin (or conclude) use of a computer system.
3》 cut down (an area of forest) to exploit the wood commercially.
Derivatives
~ger noun
~ging noun
Word History
Log is a Middle English word of obscure origin. The link between the original sense of the noun, 'a part of a tree that has fallen or been cut off', and the verb 'enter something in a ~' is found in sense 3 of the noun, 'an apparatus for determining the speed of a ship'. This originally consisted of a '~' or wooden float attached to a very long knotted line; the ~ was tossed overboard and the length of line run out in a certain time was used as an estimate of the vessel's speed. From here came the notion of a ship's journal or ~book , in which a detailed daily record of a voyage was entered, and so the verb developed. See also knot 1 .
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~ 2
■ noun short for ~arithm .