plug

noun \ ˈpləg \

Definition of plug

1 a :a piece used to fill a hole :stopper

b :an obtruding or obstructing mass of material resembling a stopper

2 :a flat compressed cake of tobacco

3 :a small core or segment removed from a larger object

4 :something inferior; especially :an inferior often aged or unsound horse

5 a :hydrant, fireplug

b :spark plug

6 :an artificial fishing lure used primarily for casting and made with one or more sets of gang hooks

7 :any of various devices resembling or functioning like a plug: such as

a :a male fitting for making an electrical connection to a live circuit by insertion in a receptacle (such as an outlet)

b :a device for connecting electric wires to a jack

8 :a piece of favorable publicity or a favorable mention usually incorporated in general matter

See plug defined for English-language learners

See plug defined for kids

Recent Examples of plug from the Web

A decade ago, Gunn — who sports several tattoos, metal ear plugs and a piercing under his lip — was locked up, surrounded by other felons.

— beth warren, The Courier-Journal, "‘I was scared to get sober': He dealt heroin, now he's been clean six years," 24 Aug. 2017
Square started by selling smartphone plug-ins that let food-truck vendors and other small businesses accept credit cards.

— selina wang, The Seattle Times, "Mobile-payment processor Square opens brick-and-mortar store," 24 Aug. 2017
By the time tournament officials pulled the plug on the day's play, the rain amounted to close to five hours worth of delays.

— patrick brennan, Cincinnati.com, "W&S washout: Rain halts tennis action in Mason," 18 Aug. 2017
Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz luxury marque is offering a 2,000-euro incentive Europewide on new diesel or plug-in hybrid autos while its Smart city car unit will pay 1,000 euros to buyers of an electric model.

— christoph rauwald, Bloomberg.com, "Rebate Battle Looms as VW Trumps Daimler, BMW on Trade-In Bonus," 8 Aug. 2017
The center shift console is roomy with deep cup holders, a wide phone slot, a spare change cubby and a good charging bin with two USB ports, a 12-volt plug and wireless charging capability.

— mark maynard, sandiegouniontribune.com, "2018 Hyundai Sonata Limited 2.0T: Bringing back the sexy," 4 Aug. 2017
Portale said, referring to the drain plug removal and the missing paddle clip.

— alex horton, Washington Post, "She said her fiance died in a kayaking accident. Now she has pleaded guilty in his death.," 24 July 2017
My son removes the cocoon of newspaper that swaddles my gift, plugs in the Turkish lamp dotted with beads and glass tiles.

— hartford courant, courant.com, "Loss And Affirmation: The Poems Of Julia Morris Paul," 18 July 2017
One Life to Live was cancelled after one season and HBO pulled the plug on Codes of Conduct before a single episode aired.

— ashley weatherford, The Cut, "Laughing and Crying With Laura Harrier, the New Star of Spider-Man," 5 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'plug.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of plug

Dutch, from Middle Dutch plugge; akin to Middle High German pfloc plug

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1606

See Words from the same year

plug

verb

Definition of plug

plugged; plugging

transitive verb

1 a :to stop, make tight, or secure by inserting a plug

b :to remedy (a deficiency) as if by inserting a plug

trying to plug the gaps in their understanding

2 :to hit with a bullet :shoot

3 :to advertise or publicize insistently

intransitive verb

1 :to become plugged —usually used with up

2 :to work doggedly and persistently

plugged away at her homework

3 :to fire shots

—

plugger

noun

— plug into

1 :to connect or become connected to by or as if by means of a plug

the city was plugged into the new highway system

2 :to load into as if by means of a plug

plugged the data into a computer

See plug defined for English-language learners

Examples of plug in a Sentence

We were able to plug the hole with cement.
One of the DJs on the local radio station has been plugging the band's new album.
He plugged him right in the chest.

Recent Examples of plug from the Web

Eight months ago, the nonprofit that runs San Diego’s Fleet Week was drowning in red ink and shouting for help to plug the funding gap.

— carl prine, sandiegouniontribune.com, "San Diego Fleet Week steams out of the red and toward autumn celebration," 20 Aug. 2017
Being able to stream music via your phone through your car is one of modern life's many pleasures, but who amongst you has ever plugged in their aux cord only to be greeted by the loud blasting of whatever song comes up first in your library?

— lilian min, Cosmopolitan, "This Song Is Nothing But Silence... And It's Climbing the iTunes Charts," 14 Aug. 2017
The clock is ready to use in minutes, by simply plugging it in and connecting it to BEDDI's free app via Bluetooth.

— the good housekeeping institute, Good Housekeeping, "BEDDI Style Intelligent Alarm Clock," 11 Aug. 2017
In November 2016, hoping to salve fears within science and academia, British Prime Minister Theresa May pledged £2 billion a year to plug the gap left by EU finding.

— simon parkin, Bloomberg.com, "Brexit Is Quietly Strangling Science," 8 Aug. 2017
The tech touches are laudable — iPad check-ins, fast and free fiber-optic Wi-Fi and breakfast tables featuring places for each diner to plug in a gadget, for example.

— cheryl lu-lien tan, New York Times, "A San Francisco Hotel Wired for a Tech Central Crowd," 5 Aug. 2017
Arginine bicarbonate plugs the exposed pores in your teeth for immediate relief, while other ingredients, such as potassium nitrate and strontium chloride, block pain signals to the brain.

— joanne chen, Redbook, "Teeth: An Owner's Manual," 24 July 2017
One is by plugging the yawning gaps in regulation, which in some countries bundles SACCOs together with other, non-financial co-operatives.

— The Economist, "Regulating credit unions in Africa," 20 July 2017
Individuals and companies couldn’t plug into the network and sell their content, goods, and services like their French counterparts had done, and as dotcom startups would soon do on the web.

— julien mailland, The Atlantic, "Minitel, the Open Network Before the Internet," 16 June 2017

First Known Use of plug

1630

plug Synonyms

Synonyms

block, bung, dam, pack, fill, stop, stuff

Related Words

choke, clog, close (off), clot, congest, jam, obstruct, occlude; caulk, chink, seal; repack, restuff

Near Antonyms

excavate, hollow (out), scoop (out), shovel

PLUG Defined for English Language Learners

plug

noun

Definition of plug for English Language Learners

: a part at the end of an electric cord that has two or three metal pins that connect the cord to a source of electricity
: a part at the end of a wire or cable that is used to connect machines or devices
: a thing that is used to close a hole in a container or object

plug

verb

Definition of plug for English Language Learners

: to fill or cover (a hole, space, etc.) with something
: to praise (something, such as a book, movie, or restaurant) publicly in a way that makes people want to buy it, see it, etc. : to advertise (something) by talking about it especially on the radio or television
: to shoot (someone) with a gun

PLUG Defined for Kids

plug

noun \ ˈpləg \

Definition of plug for Students

1 :a device usually on a cord used to make an electrical connection by putting it into another part (as a socket)

2 :a piece (as of wood or metal) used to stop up or fill a hole

plug

verb

Definition of plug for Students

plugged; plugging

1 :to connect to an electric circuit

Plug in the lamp.

2 :to stop or make tight with something that fills a hole

3 :to keep steadily at work or in action

I plugged away at my homework.

Medical Dictionary

plug

noun \ ˈpləg \

medical Definition of plug

:a piece of material (as wood or alloy) used or serving to fill a hole: as

a :the piece in a cock that can be turned to regulate the flow of liquid or gas

b :an obstructing mass of material in a bodily vessel or opening (as of the cervix or a skin lesion)

c :a filling for a hollow tooth

plug

transitive verb

medical Definition of plug

plugged; plugging

1 :to stop, make tight, or secure (as an opening) by or as if by insertion of a plug :close an opening in

2 :to fill a cavity in (a tooth)

Learn More about plug

See words that rhyme with plug Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for plug Spanish Central: Translation of plug Nglish: Translation of plug for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of plug for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about plug

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Origin and Etymology of plug

plug

Definition of plug

plugger

Examples of plug in a Sentence

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First Known Use of plug

plug Synonyms

Synonyms

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PLUG Defined for English Language Learners

plug

Definition of plug for English Language Learners

plug

Definition of plug for English Language Learners

PLUG Defined for Kids

plug

Definition of plug for Students

plug

Definition of plug for Students

Medical Dictionary

plug

medical Definition of plug

plug

medical Definition of plug

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