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Definition of plug noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

plug

noun
 
 
/plʌɡ/
 
/plʌɡ/
Idioms
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    electrical equipment

  1.  
    a small plastic object with two or three metal pins that connects a piece of electrical equipment to the main supply of electricity
    • The iron is fitted with a three-pin plug.
    • I'll have to change the plug on my hairdryer.
    Topics Houses and homesc1
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • electric
    • power
    • mains
    • …
    verb + plug
    • pull out
    • remove
    • take out
    • …
    plug + noun
    • adapter
    • socket
    See full entry
  2.  
    (informal, especially British English) a small opening in a wall, by which you connect a piece of electrical equipment to the main supply of electricity synonym socket
    • Can I use this plug for my iron?
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • electric
    • power
    • mains
    • …
    verb + plug
    • pull out
    • remove
    • take out
    • …
    plug + noun
    • adapter
    • socket
    See full entry
  3.  
    a small object that connects a wire from one piece of electrical equipment to an opening in another
    • the plug from the computer to the printer
    • I pushed the jack plug into the amp.
    see also jack plug
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • electric
    • power
    • mains
    • …
    verb + plug
    • pull out
    • remove
    • take out
    • …
    plug + noun
    • adapter
    • socket
    See full entry
    4.

    in engine

  4. (also spark plug, British English also sparking plug)
     a part in a car engine that produces a spark (= a flash of electricity) which makes the fuel burn and starts the engine

    5. in bath/sink

  5.  
    a thick round piece of plastic, rubber or metal that you put in the hole in a bath or a sink to stop the water flowing out
    • She pulled out the plug and let the water drain away.
    • There was plenty of hot water, but there was no bath plug.
    Synonyms lidlidtop ▪ cork ▪ cap ▪ plugThese are all words for a cover for a container.lid a cover over a container that can be removed or opened by turning or lifting it:
    • a jar with a tight-fitting lid
    top a thing that you put over the end of something such as a pen or bottle in order to close itcork a small, round object made of cork or plastic that is used for closing bottles, especially wine bottlescap (often in compounds) a top for a pen or a cover for protecting something such as the lens of a cameraplug a round piece of material that you put into a hole in order to block it; a flat, round rubber or plastic thing that you put into the hole of a sink in order to stop the water from flowing out:
    • a bath plug
    Patterns
    • a tight-fitting lid/​top/​cap
    • a screw top/​cap
    • a pen lid/​top
    • to put on/​screw on/​take off/​unscrew the lid/​top/​cap
    • to pull out the cork/​plug
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • bath
    • bathtub
    • sink
    • …
    verb + plug
    • put in
    • pull
    • pull out
    • …
    plug + noun
    • hole
    See full entry
    6.

    in hole

  6. a round piece of material that fits into a hole and blocks it
    • She took the plug of cotton wool from her ear.
    • We fixed the leak with a plug made from an old cloth.
    see also earplug
  7. (North American English)
    (also stopper British and North American English)
    an object that fits into the top of a bottle to close it
    Synonyms lidlidtop ▪ cork ▪ cap ▪ plugThese are all words for a cover for a container.lid a cover over a container that can be removed or opened by turning or lifting it:
    • a jar with a tight-fitting lid
    top a thing that you put over the end of something such as a pen or bottle in order to close itcork a small, round object made of cork or plastic that is used for closing bottles, especially wine bottlescap (often in compounds) a top for a pen or a cover for protecting something such as the lens of a cameraplug a round piece of material that you put into a hole in order to block it; a flat, round rubber or plastic thing that you put into the hole of a sink in order to stop the water from flowing out:
    • a bath plug
    Patterns
    • a tight-fitting lid/​top/​cap
    • a screw top/​cap
    • a pen lid/​top
    • to put on/​screw on/​take off/​unscrew the lid/​top/​cap
    • to pull out the cork/​plug
    8.

    for screw

  8. a small plastic tube that you put into a hole in a wall so that it will hold a screw synonym Rawlplug™

    9. for book/movie

  9. (informal) praise or attention that somebody gives to a new book, film, etc. in order to encourage people to buy or see it
    • He managed to get in a plug for his new book.
    10. Word Originearly 17th cent.: from Middle Dutch and Middle Low German plugge, of unknown ultimate origin.
Idioms
pull the plug on somebody/something
  1. (informal) to put an end to somebody’s project, a plan, etc.
    • The television company pulled the plug on the series after only five episodes.
    • They decided to pull the plug on the project.
    Topics Businessc2
See plug in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee plug in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: plug

Nearby words

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