log

1 of 6

noun (1)

ˈlȯg How to pronounce log (audio)
ˈläg
often attributive
1
: a usually bulky piece or length of a cut or fallen tree
especially : a length of a tree trunk ready for sawing and over six feet (1.8 meters) long
2
: an apparatus for measuring the rate of a ship's motion through the water that consists of a block fastened to a line and run out from a reel
3
a
: the record of the rate of a ship's speed or of her daily progress
also : the full nautical record of a ship's voyage
b
: the full record of a flight by an aircraft
4
: a record of performance, events, or day-to-day activities

log

2 of 6

verb

logged; logging

transitive verb

1
a
: to cut (trees) for lumber
b
: to clear (land) of trees in lumbering
often used with off
2
: to make a note or record of : enter details of or about in a log
3
a
: to move (an indicated distance) or attain (an indicated speed) as noted in a log
b(1)
: to sail a ship or fly an airplane for (an indicated distance or period of time)
(2)
: to have (an indicated record) to one's credit : achieve

log

3 of 6

noun (2)

often attributive

log

4 of 6

abbreviation

logic

log-

5 of 6

combining form

variants or logo-
: word : thought : speech : discourse
logogram
logorrhea

-log

6 of 6

noun combining form

see -logue

Example Sentences

Verb Thousands of trees have been logged in this area. The forest has been heavily logged. The company has been logging in this area for many years. Part of his job is to log all deliveries. Truck drivers log thousands of miles every week. She has only been flying for a few months, but she has already logged more than 80 hours. a pitcher who has logged more than a hundred victories See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Ensembles are composed of a percussion section that includes two or more drums called barriles de bomba (bomba barrels), a maraca (an instrument first made by Taínos using a higuera tree) and a cuá (stick drum) made from a hollow bamboo log. Javier E. Piñero, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 May 2023 Those systems often spend months analyzing vast amounts of digital text, including books, Wikipedia articles and chat logs. Cade Metz, New York Times, 16 May 2023 Home: This is a 3-bed, 3-bath, two-story, 2,800-square-foot log/board-and-batten, walkout ranch house on approximately 1.66 private acres. Lennie Omalza, The Courier-Journal, 11 May 2023 An 8-year-old Wisconsin boy who went missing for two days while camping in Michigan with his family was found on Monday afternoon under a log by search party volunteers approximately two miles from his campsite, the state police said in a news release. Cara Tabachnick, CBS News, 9 May 2023 Don’t be tempted to fill up space with logs, branches, leaves, plastic bottles, gravel or anything else. Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 May 2023 Users can store and search information in the fishing log and share pictures and stories with other angles on the Deeper network. Ric Burnley, Field & Stream, 3 May 2023 The ride in the photos, Logger’s Leap, was the UK’s highest log flume, but closed in 2015, and the theme park is now wanting to redevelop the area around it. Julia Buckley, CNN, 1 May 2023 In the 1897 novel, Count Dracula boards the ship on his way to England, and the book switches to the captain's log as the crew starts disappearing. Brendan Morrow, The Week, 16 Apr. 2023
Verb
Residential and commercial development, mining and quarrying, logging and tourism are among the many threats to their environment, according to the conservation union. Rae Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 16 May 2023 That's why Williams needs to play Phoenix's backup bigs Bismack Biyombo and Jock Landale more in Game 2. Biyombo and Landale logged just over six and 10 minutes, respectively, and total three personal fouls between them in Game 1. The Arizona Republic, 30 Apr. 2023 Rookie Hunter Brown has logged seven innings in three of five starts this season, including one of the best efforts by any pitcher this season on Wednesday night. Michael Shapiro, Chron, 27 Apr. 2023 But Capel could not catch the ball and Ohtani logged what was ruled a triple. Sarah Valenzuela, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2023 Last fiscal year, the U.S. Border Patrol logged a record 2.2 million migrant encounters. Dianne Solis, Dallas News, 27 Apr. 2023 Others counter that so few national forests have been logged in recent decades that species such as ruffed grouse and bobcat, which need open space and young, shrubby forest, are losing habitat. Bygabriel Popkin, science.org, 26 Apr. 2023 Kansas City Chiefs – OT Anton Harrison, Oklahoma He primarily served as the Sooners' left tackle the past three seasons, though did log time on the right side in 2022. Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 24 Apr. 2023 About 25 of the recipients have agreed to have trackers on their bikes that are logging trips. Taylor Dolven, BostonGlobe.com, 22 Apr. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'log.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English logge

Noun (2)

by shortening

Combining form

Greek, from logos — more at legend

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1699, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun (2)

1631, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of log was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near log

Cite this Entry

“Log.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/log. Accessed 5 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

log

1 of 3 noun
ˈlȯg How to pronounce log (audio)
ˈläg
1
: a large piece of a cut or fallen tree
especially : a long piece of a tree trunk trimmed and ready for sawing
2
: a device for measuring the speed of a ship
3
a
: the daily record of a ship's speed and progress
b
: the full record of a ship's voyage or of an aircraft's flight
4
: a record of performance, events, or day-to-day activities
a computer log

log

2 of 3 verb
logged; logging
1
: to cut trees for lumber or to clear land of trees in lumbering
2
: to put details of or about in a log
3
a
: to move a distance or reach a speed as noted in a log
b
: to sail a ship or fly an aircraft for an indicated distance or time
the pilot logged thousands of miles and hundreds of hours

log

3 of 3 noun

Legal Definition

log

noun

More from Merriam-Webster on log

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