rug

noun

ˈrəg 

1

: lap robe

2

: a piece of thick heavy fabric that usually has a nap or pile and is used as a floor covering

3

: a floor mat of an animal pelt

a bearskin rug

4

slang : toupee sense 1

5

British : a blanket for an animal (such as a horse or dog)

see also:

pull the rug from under

Synonyms of rug

• wig
• toupee
• hairpiece

Examples of rug in a Sentence

I accidentally spilled wine on the rug.

You could tell that he was wearing a rug.

Recent Examples on the Web

Instead of constantly making adjustments and smoothing out wrinkles, just add these reusable grippers to the corners to keep your favorite rugs perfectly in place all the time. — Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2026

But now, the cutter has become the rug that ties Melton’s room together. — Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Custom rug retailer Ernesta has named Rohit Bagalkot vice president of marketing and Kelly Shah director of inventory planning as the company expands following a $20 million Series B funding round. — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 21 Aug. 2026

This alone made a great first impression—the thought of cleaning my hardwood floors, couch, baseboards, and rugs without swapping devices thrilled me as someone who was previously using multiple vacuums to accomplish the same tasks. — Katherine McLaughlin, Architectural Digest, 20 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English *rug rag, tuft, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian dialect rugga coarse rug, Old Norse rǫgg tuft

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing rug

• cut a rug
• flokati rug
• lie like a rug
• Oriental rug
• prayer rug
• pull the rug from under
• rug rat
• scatter rug
• steamer rug
• sweep (something) under the rug
• throw rug

Rhymes for rug

• chug
• doug
• drug
• dug
• hug
• jug
• lug
• mug
• plug
• pug
• rugg
• shrug

Kids Definition

rug

noun

ˈrəg 

: a piece of thick heavy fabric usually with a nap or pile used as a floor covering