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)

Synonyms

• wig

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

Work on getting rugs and maybe take your shoes off once in a while, but don’t let this dude bully you! —Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 27 June 2025

The federal budget reconciliation bill moving through Congress, paired with California’s preliminary budget, threatens to pull the rug out from under millions of patients and the providers who care for them. —Dr. Ara J. Baghdasarian, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025

But this is now twice that the U.S. has pulled the rug out from under Tehran. —David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 June 2025

The outlet was based on the idea that independent journalism should expose and reform systemic problems being swept under the rug by community leaders. —Asaf Elia-Shalev, Sun Sentinel, 24 June 2025

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