plug
noun · verb
Simple meaning
A pronged connecting device which fits into a mating socket.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
pluhgIPA pronunciation (US)
ˈplʌɡ
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
electricity
A pronged connecting device which fits into a mating socket, especially an electrical one.
loosely
Electrical device that fits into the cylinder head of an internal-combustion engine and ignites the gas by means of an electric spark
loosely
An electrical device with two or three pins that is inserted in a socket to make an electrical connection
Any piece of wood, metal, or other substance used to stop or fill a hole.
us
A flat oblong cake of pressed tobacco.
A branch from a water-pipe to supply a hose.
verb
Make a plug for; praise the qualities or in order to sell or promote
transitive
To promote (something, especially a product or service); to mention (something) as if promoting or advertising it.
intransitiveinformal
To persist or continue with something.
transitiveslang
To ingest a drug rectally.
transitiveslang
To shoot (someone) with a bullet.
Insert as a plug
“She plugged a cork in the wine bottle.”
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A2 · Elementary (estimated)
- Frequency
- Common
- Typical Use
- General English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: (electricity) A pronged connecting device which fits into a mating socket, especially an electrical one.
Used this way, plug is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Matter-of-fact
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Nearby words
- stopper , more casual, better suited to speech than writing
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
Altered by the insertion of a plug of base metal.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A software module that extends or enhances the capabilities of an existing application.
Plug into an outlet.
Someone who bullies weaker people.
Work doggedly or persistently.
A fuse with a thread that screws into a socket.
A felt hat that is round and hard with a narrow brim.
Related words
Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.
A wrench for removing or tightening spark plugs into the cylinder head of an internal combustion engine.
Related Words
Connected to the same idea, not synonyms.
More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: pronged connecting device which fits into a mating socket
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.