tow

present singular third person tows · participle present towing · participle past towed · past towed

1. transitiveTo pull something behind one, such as by using a line, chain, or tongue.

   Near-synonyms: draw, haul, pull, trail

   1 more example

   In its current specification it cannot be driven and must be towed to its work location by a locomotive.

   2022 September 7, “At the cutting edge of NR's track work”, in RAIL, number 965, page 40, photo caption

   Synonyms: draw, haul, pull, trail

2. usuallyrunningcyclingTo aid someone behind by shielding them from wind resistance.

plural tows

1. The act of towing and the condition of being towed.

   It isn't the car's battery; I think I need a tow.

2. Something, such as a tugboat, that tows.
3. Something, such as a barge, that is towed.
4. A rope or cable used in towing.
5. hobbiesA speed increase given by driving in front of another car on a straight, which causes a slipstream for the car behind.

   On Saturday, Vettel was very unhappy with Leclerc's failure to work out a way through the traffic and give him a tow for the second runs in qualifying, as had been agreed.

   2019 September 8, Andrew Benson, BBC Sport

plural tows

1. countableuncountableAn untwisted bundle of fibres such as cellulose acetate, flax, hemp or jute.

   And the strong shall be as towe, and the maker of it as a sparke, and they shall both burne together, and none shall quench them.

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Isaiah 1:31

   1 more example

   Meanwhile the farmer's wife was at home all alone, and while she was sitting and spinning her tow, she never noticed a Troll who had crept through the window into the next room, and was at the beer barrel drawing off the liquor into his copper kettle.

   1828, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, volume I, London: William Harrison Ainsworth, page 187

2. countablespecificallyuncountableThe short, coarse, less desirable fibres separated by hackling from the finer longer fibres (line).

plural Tows

1. A surname.

plural TOWs

1. abbreviationinitialismgovernmentInitialism of tube-launched, optically tracked, wire-guided: a kind of antitank missile.

   The American-made TOW antitank missiles began arriving in the region in 2013, through a covert program run by the United States, Saudi Arabia and other allies to help certain C.I.A.-vetted insurgent groups battle the Syrian government.

   2015 October 12, Anne Barnard, Karam Shoumali, “U.S. Weaponry Is Turning Syria Into Proxy War With Russia”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

   Synonyms: TOW missile

1. abbreviationinitialismslanglifestyleInitialism of The One with ... or The One Where ...: used to refer to episodes of the American television sitcom Friends.

   TOW the Prom Video

   The One with the Prom Video

   1 more example

   Yay! It's coming out this Friday! Staring Jennifer Aniston, Ben Stiller (played the Rachel's boyfriend in TOW The Screamer), Hank Azaria (David) and Debra Messing...3 Friends people. Looks funny.

   2004 January 12, Adele, “Along Came Polly”, in alt.tv.friends (Usenet)