tow Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the act of hauling something (as a vehicle) by means of a hitch or rope
    towage.
    • the truck gave him a tow to the garage
  2. verb drag behind
    • Horses used to tow barges along the canal

WordNet

Tow noun
Etymology
OE. tow, AS. tow, akin to OD. touw, Icel. a tuft of wool for spinning; cf. E. taw, v.t.
Definitions
  1. The coarse and broken part of flax or hemp, separated from the finer part by the hatchel or swingle.
Tow transitive verb
Etymology
OE. towen, toen; akin to OFries. toga to pull about, OHG. zogon, Icel. toga, AS. tohline a towline, and AS.teón to draw, p.p. getogen. See Tug
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Towed ; present participle & verbal noun Towing
Definitions
  1. To draw or pull through the water, as a vessel of any kind, by means of a rope.
Tow noun
Etymology
Cf. Icel.taug a rope, from the same root as E.tow, v. t.
Definitions
  1. A rope by which anything is towed; a towline, or towrope.
  2. The act of towing, or the state of being towed;-chiefly used in the phrase, to take in tow, that is to tow.
  3. That which is towed, or drawn by a towline, as a barge, raft, collection of boats, ect.

Webster 1913