1
2
a
: a projecting piece used as a support or boundary marker
b
: something (such as a fact or issue) used as a support, pretext, or reason
a news peg for the story
3
a
: one of the movable wooden pegs set in the head of a stringed instrument (such as a violin) that are turned to regulate the pitch of the strings see violin illustration
b
: a step or degree especially in estimation
4
: a pointed prong or claw for catching or tearing
5
British
: drink
poured himself out a stiff peg—
Dorothy Sayers
Dorothy Sayers6
: something (such as a leg) resembling a peg
7
: throw
especially
: a hard throw in baseball made in an attempt to put out a base runner
pegged; pegging
1
a
: to put a peg into
b
British
: to pin (laundry) on a clothesline
2
3
: to mark by pegs
4
: throw
1
: to work steadily and diligently
—often used with away
2
: to move along vigorously or hastily : hustle
polyethylene glycol
Synonyms
Examples of peg in a Sentence
Noun
Her coat hung on a peg by the door.
took the arrogant student down a peg
Verb
Is the tent pegged down all the way?
peg the price of wheat at its current level
His bonus is pegged to how many sales he makes each year for the company.
Recent Examples on the WebJames Messer, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023
Children can create custom scenes or follow preset designs, all by inserting pegs into the backlit tray.
—Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 8 Nov. 2023
Green with envy, her coworker Drew sets out to dampen her accomplishments and will stop at nothing until she’s knocked down a peg at work and in her everyday dealings.
—Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 24 Oct. 2023
To knock him down a peg, though, most of his rivals are playing by the old rules.
—Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2023
The large oak boards are almost 30 centimeters (12 inches) wide and 15 centimeters (6 inches) thick, and they’re held together by wooden pegs instead of nails.
—Gretchen Smail, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Oct. 2023
Hamas has launched a war to destroy Israel—or to do its best to weaken it, to take it down a peg.
—Foreign Affairs, 7 Oct. 2023
Tall custom cabinets hold fishing gear and other supplies, and the peg rack is a catch-all spot for jackets and lake house necessities.
—Rhonda Reinhart, Country Living, 8 Sep. 2023
The pounding bench helps children learn cause and effect, and hitting the peg with the mallet encourages hand-eye coordination and fine motor skill development.
—Melissa Willets, Parents, 11 July 2023
Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Nov. 2023
This skepticism is substantiated by the ZipRecruiter survey, which surveyed more than 2,000 U.S. employers between July and August, and pegged employee monitoring as the primary concern in remote work scenarios.
—Gleb Tsipursky, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2023
Though a July Morning Consult poll pegged Hobbs’s approval rating at only 47 percent, one in 10 voters were still making up their minds about her.
—Kyle Paoletta, The New Republic, 30 Oct. 2023
Unlike the Arizona Cardinals last year and the Indianapolis Colts before them, the Dolphins are pegged by many to make the playoffs this season.
—Scott Thompson, Fox News, 23 Oct. 2023
Salaries are pegged to the dollar to protect against currency fluctuations.
—Patricia Cohen, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2023
Even after undergoing an elbow surgery that will limit him to hitting-only next season, Ohtani continues to be pegged for a record-breaking, potential half-billion-dollar deal.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 9 Nov. 2023
Meta issued bullish revenue guidance for the fourth quarter of 2023, pegging sales to be in the range of $36.5 billion-$40 billion (compared with $32.17 billion in the year-earlier period).
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 25 Oct. 2023
The video release was pegged to Red Ribbon Week, a national drug-prevention effort began in 1985.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Oct. 2023
Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 6 May 2016
The most controversial were the inclusion of single-unders and double-under crossovers which appeared during Event 3 alongside strict peg-board climbs.
—Gabrielle Kassel, Men's Health, 8 Aug. 2022
The toymaker father of young Olivia is dramatically kidnapped by a peg-legged bat.
—Dewayne Bevil, orlandosentinel.com, 18 Sep. 2020
See More
Noun
Trying to integrate legacy billing with advanced systems is like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole—while blindfolded.
—James Messer, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023
Children can create custom scenes or follow preset designs, all by inserting pegs into the backlit tray.
—Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 8 Nov. 2023
Green with envy, her coworker Drew sets out to dampen her accomplishments and will stop at nothing until she’s knocked down a peg at work and in her everyday dealings.
—Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 24 Oct. 2023
To knock him down a peg, though, most of his rivals are playing by the old rules.
—Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 20 Oct. 2023
The large oak boards are almost 30 centimeters (12 inches) wide and 15 centimeters (6 inches) thick, and they’re held together by wooden pegs instead of nails.
—Gretchen Smail, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Oct. 2023
Hamas has launched a war to destroy Israel—or to do its best to weaken it, to take it down a peg.
—Foreign Affairs, 7 Oct. 2023
Tall custom cabinets hold fishing gear and other supplies, and the peg rack is a catch-all spot for jackets and lake house necessities.
—Rhonda Reinhart, Country Living, 8 Sep. 2023
The pounding bench helps children learn cause and effect, and hitting the peg with the mallet encourages hand-eye coordination and fine motor skill development.
—Melissa Willets, Parents, 11 July 2023
Verb
Cellar dweller Las Vegas oddsmakers during the summer pegged the over/under for SDSU victories at seven.
—Kirk Kenney, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Nov. 2023
This skepticism is substantiated by the ZipRecruiter survey, which surveyed more than 2,000 U.S. employers between July and August, and pegged employee monitoring as the primary concern in remote work scenarios.
—Gleb Tsipursky, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2023
Though a July Morning Consult poll pegged Hobbs’s approval rating at only 47 percent, one in 10 voters were still making up their minds about her.
—Kyle Paoletta, The New Republic, 30 Oct. 2023
Unlike the Arizona Cardinals last year and the Indianapolis Colts before them, the Dolphins are pegged by many to make the playoffs this season.
—Scott Thompson, Fox News, 23 Oct. 2023
Salaries are pegged to the dollar to protect against currency fluctuations.
—Patricia Cohen, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2023
Even after undergoing an elbow surgery that will limit him to hitting-only next season, Ohtani continues to be pegged for a record-breaking, potential half-billion-dollar deal.
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 9 Nov. 2023
Meta issued bullish revenue guidance for the fourth quarter of 2023, pegging sales to be in the range of $36.5 billion-$40 billion (compared with $32.17 billion in the year-earlier period).
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 25 Oct. 2023
The video release was pegged to Red Ribbon Week, a national drug-prevention effort began in 1985.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Oct. 2023
Adjective
The shape of those peg-like teeth at the front of its mouth tell us that A. unicus was vegan — the oldest such marine reptile known.
—Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 6 May 2016
The most controversial were the inclusion of single-unders and double-under crossovers which appeared during Event 3 alongside strict peg-board climbs.
—Gabrielle Kassel, Men's Health, 8 Aug. 2022
The toymaker father of young Olivia is dramatically kidnapped by a peg-legged bat.
—Dewayne Bevil, orlandosentinel.com, 18 Sep. 2020
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'peg.' 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
Middle English pegge, probably from Middle Dutch
First Known Use
Noun
15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
1543, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Adjective
1681, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of peg was
in the 15th century
Phrases Containing peg
Dictionary Entries Near peg
Cite this Entry
“Peg.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peg. Accessed 2 Dec. 2023.
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Kids Definition
peg
1 of 2 noun1
a
: a small usually cylindrical pointed piece (as of wood) used to pin down or fasten things or to fit into or close holes
a tent peg
b
: a tapered wooden piece in a musical instrument (as a violin) that is turned to tighten or loosen a string to adjust pitch
2
: a piece that sticks out and is used as a support or boundary marker
3
: step entry 1 sense 5, degree
take someone down a peg
4
: throw entry 2 sense 1
a quick peg to first base
peg
2 of 2 verb
pegged; pegging
1
a
: to fasten or mark with pegs
b
: to fix or hold (as prices) at a level or rate of increase
2
: to place in a class or group
4
: to work steadily and diligently
Medical Definition
PEG
abbreviation
More from Merriam-Webster on peg
Nglish: Translation of peg for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of peg for Arabic Speakers
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