in tow

英：[in təu]

美：[ɪn to]

verb

transitive verb

to draw or pull along behind : haul

tow a wagon

intransitive verb

to move in tow

trailers that tow behind the family auto—Bob Munger

noun (1)

the act or an instance of towing

the fact or state of being towed

something towed (such as a boat or car)

a group of barges lashed together and usually pushed

something (such as a tugboat) that tows

ski tow

a rope or chain for towing

noun (2)

short or broken fiber (as of flax, hemp, or synthetic material) that is used especially for yarn, twine, or stuffing

yarn or cloth made of tow

a loose essentially untwisted strand of synthetic fibers

noun (3)

rope

Verb Middle English towen "to pull, tug, haul," going back to Old English togian, going back to Germanic *togōjan- (whence also Old Frisian togia "to haul away," Old High German zogōn "to obtain," Old Icelandic toga "to draw, pull"), weak-verb derivative from zero-grade of *teuhan- "to draw, pull," a strong verb (whence Old English tēon, past tēah, tugon, past participle togen "to pull, draw, entice, bring up, educate," Old Frisian tiā "to draw, pull, educate," Old Saxon tiohan "to pull, haul, rear," Old High German ziohan "to pull, lead, rear, foster," Old Icelandic toginn "drawn [of a sword]," Gothic tiuhan "to lead, bring"), going back to an Indo-European verbal base *deu̯k-, whence also Welsh dygaf "(I) bring, lead" (verbal noun dwyn), Latin dūcō, dūcere "to lead, conduct, draw, pull (of draught animals)" Note: The base *deu̯k- is best attested as a primary verb stem with the meanings "lead, bring" and "pull (a conveyance)" in the western Indo-European group Celtic, Germanic, and Italic. Other semantically and/or morphologically more distant connections (in Albanian, Greek, and Tocharian) are pointed out in H. Rix, et al., Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben, 2. Auflage, Wiesbaden, 2001. Noun (1) derivative of tow >entry 1 Noun (2) Middle English tow, towe "unworked flax, fiber of flax or another material prepared for spinning," of uncertain origin Note: The Middle English word has been associated with Old English tow-, which appears as the initial element of a series of compounds: towcræft "spinning," towhūs "building or room for spinning," towlic "used for spinning," towtōl "spinning implement." Whatever the likelihood of this element as its source, Middle English tow(e) is matched exactly in form by Middle Dutch touwe, tou "coarse flax, rope," and Middle Low German tow, towe "rope." While the Oxford English Dictionary, first edition, is noncommital on its origin, the editors of the Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology state unreservedly that tow(e) is borrowed from Middle Low German touw [sic]. Cognate with the Middle Low German and Middle Dutch words are Old Frisian tauwe, towe "rope," Old Saxon tou "flax fiber," and Old Icelandic tó "tuft of wool." These appear to go back to Germanic tauwa-, which would yield unattested Old English *tēaw-, not tow-. G. Kroonen (Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Brill, 2013) links the Germanic etymon with Indo-European *deh1- "tie, bind" (see diadem), but this would appear unlikely if "flax fiber" was the original meaning and "rope" secondary. Older hypotheses connect it with Germanic *taujan- "to do, make" (see taw >entry 1). Noun (3) early Scots tow, towe, probably borrowed from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German tow, towe "rope" — more at tow >entry 3

The first known use of tow was before the 12th century

strong-mindedadjective

very independent in thought and judgment

tow1 of 3verb

to draw or pull along behind

tow2 of 3noun

a line or rope for towing

an act or instance of towing or the fact or condition of being towed

something (as a barge) that tows or is towed

tow3 of 3noun

short broken fiber from flax, hemp, or jute used for yarn, twine, or stuffing

yarn or cloth made of tow