plug

noun

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\ ˈpləg

Definition of plug

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : 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

5a : 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

plug

verb

plugged; plugging

Definition of plug (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : 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

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

Other Words from plug Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About plug

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Synonyms for plug

Synonyms: Verb

Examples of plug in a Sentence

Verb 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 on the Web: Noun Goldberg has privately expressed fear that Powell Jobs and her organization, Emerson Collective, might pull the plug if the magazine doesn’t reach profitability within the next four to five years, Atlantic sources said. — NBC News, 13 July 2021 The show found a second life on Netflix after NBC decided to pull the plug. — Andy Meek, BGR, 8 July 2021 By 2030, 70% European sales and 40% of U.S. sales will be full electric or plug-ins. — Tom Krisher, Star Tribune, 8 July 2021 With an RPAaaS solution that has plug-ins that connect to the common systems of record in the enterprise, RPA is no longer an island, but rather a means of intergalactic travel across the enterprise galaxy. — Uday Birajdar, Forbes, 7 July 2021 FutureProof’s technology, delivered through a web app or software plug-ins, forecasts the risk of financial losses across multiple climate scenarios from today through 2100. — Mike Freeman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 July 2021 Just download and install the free software, and then pick and choose plug-ins and skins from BetterDiscord’s database. — Cecilia D'anastasio, Wired, 29 June 2021 Per the terms of the contract, the only party who has the legal right to pull the plug on the Games is the IOC—not Japan. — Pam Moore, SELF, 28 June 2021 But Dandapani, the head of the hotel-industry group, said the city can pull the plug on the entire program with six days’ notice. — Kevin T. Dugan, Curbed, 16 June 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The screens can collapse and plug the well, according to Bryan Hickstein, the city’s chief water operator. — Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2021 Attach your MagSafe Battery Pack to your iPhone and then plug the MagSafe Battery Pack into a power adapter. — Chris Smith, BGR, 14 July 2021 Some of you have the good sense to avert your gaze when a throat is slashed onscreen, to stay far away from haunted houses and plug your ears to blood-curdling screams. — Barbara Vandenburgh, USA TODAY, 13 July 2021 Cross Country versions of both, with body cladding and raised ride height, will stick around, as does the performance plug-in-hybrid version of the V60, the Recharge T8 Polestar. — Caleb Miller, Car and Driver, 10 July 2021 Companies, organizations and agencies will now need to work as quickly as possible to plug potential gaps in their systems, updating software and ensuring that their most critical functions are sufficiently insulated from cyberattacks. — Rishi Iyengar And Clare Duffy, CNN, 3 June 2021 The emergency status also helped DeSantis shift and spend money without legislative authority during the pandemic, when state coffers took a big hit and federal aid was used to plug budget holes. — Gray Rohrer, orlandosentinel.com, 23 June 2021 It’s the difference between not worrying about an economic downturn and scrambling to plug holes in an unstable financial situation. — Andrew Lanoie, Forbes, 4 June 2021 Illinois was the only state to borrow from the special Fed program, taking out two loans totaling $3.2 billion to plug holes in the past two state budgets. — Dan Petrella, chicagotribune.com, 20 May 2021

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.

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Dictionary Entries Near plug

pluffy

plug

plug and feather

Statistics for plug

Last Updated

26 Jul 2021

Cite this Entry

“Plug.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plug. Accessed 4 Aug. 2021.

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More Definitions for plug

plug

noun

English Language Learners Definition of plug

(Entry 1 of 2)

: 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

English Language Learners Definition of plug (Entry 2 of 2)

: 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

US, informal + old-fashioned : to shoot (someone) with a gun

See the full definition for plug in the English Language Learners Dictionary

plug

noun

\ ˈpləg