Peg
Pronunciation
- Rhymes: -ɛɡ
Origin
From Middle English pegge, from Middle Dutch pegge ("pin, peg"), from Old Saxon *pigg-, *pegg-, from Proto-Germanic *pig-, *pag- ("peg, stake"), from Proto-Indo-European *bak-, *baḱ- ("club, pointed stick, peg"). Cognate with Dutch dialectal peg ("pin"), Low German pig, pigge ("peg, stick with a point"), Low German pegel ("post, stake"), Swedish pigg ("tooth, spike"), Irish bac ("stick, crook"), Latin baculum ("staff"), Latvian bakstît ("to poke"), Ancient Greek βάκτÏον (báktron, "staff, walking stick"). Related to beak.
Full definition of peg
Noun
peg
(plural pegs)- A cylindrical wooden or metal object used to fasten or as a bearing between objects.
- Measurement between the pegs: after killing an animal hunters used the distance between a peg near the animal's nose and one near the end of its body to measure its body length.
- A protrusion used to hang things on.Hang your coat on the peg and come in.
- (figurative) A support; a reason; a pretext.a peg to hang a claim upon
- (cribbage) A peg moved on a crib board to keep score.
- (finance) A fixed exchange rate, where a currency's value is matched to the value of another currency or measure such as gold
- (UK) A small quantity of a strong alcoholic beverage.
- 1953, S. S. Field, The American drink book‎, The name had come to mean any aromatic essence of herbs by the time the first thirsty colonial poured a peg of Who-shot-John into his mint water.
- A place formally allotted for fishing
- (colloquial, dated) A leg or foot.
- 1913, D.H. Lawrence, ,"Now I'm cleaned up for thee: tha's no 'casions ter stir a peg all day, but sit and read thy books."
- One of the pins of a musical instrument, on which the strings are strained.
- A step; a degree.
- Barrowto screw papal authority to the highest peg
- HudibrasWe still have worsted all your holy tricks;
Trepann'd your party with intrigue,
And took your grandees down a peg...
Synonyms
- (small quantity of strong liquor) shot
Related terms
Verb
- To fasten using a peg.Let's peg the rug to the floor.
- To affix or pin.I found a tack and pegged your picture to the bulletin board.She lunged forward and pegged him to the wall.
- To narrow the cuff openings of a pair of pants so that the legs take on a peg shape.
- To throw.
- To indicate or ascribe an attribute to. (Assumed to originate from the use of pegs or pins as markers on a bulletin board or a list.)He's been pegged as a suspect.I pegged his weight at 165.
- (cribbage) To move one's pegs to indicate points scored; to score with a peg.She pegged twelve points.
- (slang) To reach or exceed the maximum value on a scale or gauge.We pegged the speedometer across the flats.
- (slang, typically in heterosexual contexts) To engage in anal sex by penetrating one's male partner with a dildo
- When you're pegging him and he gets close to orgasm, you'll observe a number of physical signs ...