I. ˈpeg noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English pegge, probably from Middle Dutch; probably akin to Latin baculum staff — more at bacterium
1.
a. : a small usually cylindrical pointed or tapered piece of wood, metal, or other material used to pin down or fasten together (as boards or tiles, soles and uppers of boots and shoes, component parts in furniture and model making) or to close holes : pin , plug
b. Britain : clothespin
c. : a predetermined level at which something (as a rate or price) is or is intended to be fixed
bond prices are above the pegs — B.H.Beckhart
2.
a. : a projecting piece of wood or metal used to hold or support (as a coat, a tent rope)
b. : something (as a fact or opinion) used as a support, pretext, or reason (as for some matter of discourse)
physical differences are merely the pegs upon which culturally generated hostilities are made to hang — M.F.A.Montagu
the peg for these comments is the … strike and its aftermath — Janata
c. — a usually tapered piece of wood or metal driven into the ground (as to mark a boundary or limit or to stake out a claim)
d. : stump 7a
e. : a cylinder or pin fitting into a hole on a pegboard
3.
a.
(1) : one of the wooden or metal pins of a stringed musical instrument that are turned to regulate the pitch of the strings : tuning peg
a skillful musician … can let down his strings a peg lower — Joseph Hall
— see violin illustration
(2) : end pin 2
b. : a downward step or degree (as in estimation)
set him down a peg
our pride in our achievements comes down a peg — Times Literary Supplement
4. : a pointed prong or claw for catching or tearing — see husking peg , turtle peg
5. Britain
a. : a pin set as a mark in a drinking vessel
b. : the amount of drink marked by the level of such a peg
c. : drink — usually used of alcoholic beverages
poured himself out a stiff peg — Dorothy Sayers
6.
a. : something felt to resemble a peg (as a foot, leg, tooth, kernel of corn)
b. : a wooden leg
c. : the elongated hypanthium of the peanut flower that bends over and forms the subterranean stem on which the pod is borne
7. : peg top
8.
[ peg (II) ]
: throw ; especially : one made in baseball by a fielder or a baseman
scooped up hot grounders with one hand … and made lightning pegs to first — Edwin Corle
II. verb
( pegged ; pegged ; pegging ; pegs )
transitive verb
1.
a. : to put a peg into : pin, attach, fasten together, plug, or block with a peg
peg a notice to a post
peg shoes
peg seedlings
a wooden plank … pegged to the ground — J.G.Frazer
articles should be pegged to a workboard — F.J.Christopher
b. Britain : to pin or hang (laundry) on a clothesline — usually used with up
in the garden pegging up the clothes
c. : to keep in place : pin down : restrict — usually used with down
set on pegging him safely down — Clemence Dane
d. : to fix or hold (as prices, wages, rate of exchange) at a constant or predetermined point or level
pegging the price of grapefruit — New Republic
the ruble was pegged at four to the dollar — Horace Sutton
e. : to place in a definite category : nail down : identify
had you pegged for one of these ladies with fainting spells — Wallace Stegner
pegging it as the cause of vast future unemployment — D.S.Harder
f. : to give (something) support, reason, or relevance by attaching it to or making it depend on something else
peg your sales talk to some recent happening
broadcasts … pegged to themes that reflect a continuing propaganda compaign — H.R.Lieberman
2. obsolete : hammer
3. : to strike or pierce (as a turtle, lobster, shellfish) with a thrown peg
4. : to score (a specified number of points) in cribbage especially by advancing a peg on the board
5. : to mark (as a boundary) by pegs — usually used with out
peg out a certain patch for the hose — Gadgets Annual
specifically : to mark out (a miner's claim or an agricultural selection) at the four corners by pegs bearing the claimant's name
had got in first … had pegged out a claim — Eleanor Dark
6. of a hunting dog : point
7.
a. : to throw (as a baseball) especially low and fast
the shortstop pegged the ball to the first baseman
pegged stones at the trains — Rosemary V. Donatelli
b. : to retire (a batter or base runner) in baseball by a throw to a base or to home plate
pegged the runner at third
— often used with out
pegged the runner out
intransitive verb
1. : to throw, cast, or let fly with a missile (as a peg) or ball ; specifically : to cast a fly in fishing
2. : to work steadily and diligently : plod , plug — usually used with away, at, on
pegging away at his writing — Brooks Atkinson
find it terribly hard to peg at things — Atlantic
3. : to move along vigorously or hastily : hustle
pegging down the stairs — Elizabeth Bowen
4. : to make a score (as in cribbage) especially when the score is recorded on a pegboard
III. adjective
or pegged ˈpegd
: peg-top
had on a black coat and black peg pants — Thurston Scott