I. ˈpləg noun
( -s )
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Dutch, from Middle Dutch plugge plug, peg; akin to Middle High German pfloc plug, peg
1. : a piece of wood, metal, or other material used or serving to fill a hole: as
a. : stopper , stopple , bung
b. : the plunger of a pump
c. : the piece in a cock that can be turned to regulate the flow of liquid or gas
d. : plug gage
e. : an obstructing mass of material in a bodily vessel or the opening of a skin lesion
necrotic plug
fibrinous plug
f. : a more or less columnar mass of intrusive igneous rock : the filling of the conduit leading to a volcanic vent ; also : a body of rock salt of similar shape — compare bysmalith , neck I 3b(2)c
g. : a filling for a hollow tooth
h. : a reference peg driven in flush with the surface of the ground
i. : a fusible boiler plug
j. : a piece of one kind of metal inserted in a hole in the center of a coin of another kind of metal
k. : a block of wood driven or inlaid in a wall to form a nailing surface
l. : the cylindrical piece in a pin-tumbler cylinder containing the keyhole and rotated by the key — see key plug
m. : a cylindrical piece of wood or metal placed in the tubular magazine of a repeating shotgun to reduce the ammunition capacity of the magazine
n. : a separate piece of leather inserted in the upper of a shoe especially for contrast or ornament
o. : the rotating cone within the outer shell of a jordan
2. : a flat compressed cake of tobacco
3.
a.
(1) : blow , punch
(2) slang : boxing , fisticuffs
the noble art of plug
b. : shot
took a plug at the deer with his rifle
4. : a small core or segment that is removed from a larger object: as
a. : a piece cut from the center of a coin
b. : a core removed from something (as a watermelon or a bale of wool) as a representative sample on which to base an estimate of the quality of the whole
c. : a bit of material removed by a punch in forming a hole
5. : something inferior or defective of its kind: as
a. : an inferior and often aged or unsound horse
a race for platers and plugs
also : a quiet steady cold-blooded horse usually of light or moderate weight
stock includes three good farm plugs
b.
(1) : a slow-selling book
(2) plugs plural : remainders
c. slang : an incompetent telegrapher
d. : a drudging student : grind
e. : a slow, stupid, or ineffective person
a willing worker but a dull old plug
6.
a. : fireplug
b. : plug hat
c.
(1) : spark plug
(2) : plug fuse
7.
a. : an artificial angling lure used primarily for casting, made of wood or plastic, and usually rigged with one or more sets of gang hooks
an underwater plug
a subsurface plug
b. Britain : squid 3
8. : any of various devices resembling or functioning like a plug: as
a. : either the tapered parts or the key of a plug and feather
b. : a piece of soft steel impressed by a punch to form a die
c. : a wedge or key used to secure a railroad rail in a chair
d. : an extension to replace the broken section of watch or clock arbor end or pivot, filtering over the arbor or into a hole drilled in the arbor
e.
(1) : a male fitting used to make an electrical connection by insertion in a receptacle or body and having one or more contact-making parts or blades that serve to close a circuit or to attach a conductor or some other piece of electrical equipment to a circuit
(2) : a device for connecting electric wires to a jack or fuseplug
9. : a piece of favorable publicity ; especially : personal or product advertising incorporated in general matter
gave the actor a plug in her column
some radio programs have become mere strings of plugs tacked together with music
II. verb
( plugged ; plugged ; plugging ; plugs )
transitive verb
1.
a. : to stop, make tight, or secure (as an opening) by or as if by insertion of a plug
plugged the leak with tar
plug the bunghole tightly
: close an opening in — often used with up
grease plugged up the sink
b. : to fill a cavity in (a tooth)
c. : to close (a rivet) by hammering or pressing
2. : to remove a small core or segment from
plug a watermelon to test its ripeness
plugging cotton bales
3. slang
a. : to hit with a bullet : put a bullet into : shoot
b. : to strike with the fist : punch
4. : to stop (an electric motor) reversing its direction of rotation
5.
a. : to break off or proportion (a piece of stone) with a plug and feather — usually used with off
b. : to remove a piece from the center of (a coin) and insert a piece of baser metal
c. : to alter (as a woodcut or die) by removing a portion and inserting a plug carved with the desired substitution
6. : to advertise or publicize insistently ; especially : to publicize (a piece of music) by very frequent performances
intransitive verb
1. : to become stopped or occluded — usually used with up
the drain will plug up if you let grease settle in it
2. : to work doggedly and persistently
plugged away at his lessons
3. : to fire a shot or shots
kept plugging away at the can
4. : root IV ; also : to advertise or publicize something insistently
devoted much of his talk to plugging for the party candidate
III. verb
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- plug into