v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Tugged p. pr. & vb. n. Tugging. ] [ OE. toggen; akin to OD. tocken to entice, G. zucken to jerk, draw, Icel. toga to draw, AS. téon, p. p. togen, to draw, G. ziehen, OHG. ziohan, Goth. tiuhan, L. ducere to lead, draw. Cf. Duke, Team, Tie, v. t., Touch, Tow, v. t., Tuck to press in, Toy a plaything. ] 1. To pull or draw with great effort; to draw along with continued exertion; to haul along; to tow; as, to tug a loaded cart; to tug a ship into port. [ 1913 Webster ]

There sweat, there strain, tug the laborious oar. Roscommon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To pull; to pluck. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

To ease the pain,
His tugged cars suffered with a strain. Hudibras. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A pull with the utmost effort, as in the athletic contest called tug of war; a supreme effort. [ 1913 Webster ]

At the tug he falls,
Vast ruins come along, rent from the smoking walls. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A sort of vehicle, used for conveying timber and heavy articles. [ Prov. Eng. ] Halliwell. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Naut.) A small, powerful steamboat used to tow vessels; -- called also steam tug, tugboat, and towboat. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A trace, or drawing strap, of a harness. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Mining.) An iron hook of a hoisting tub, to which a tackle is affixed. [ 1913 Webster ]

Tug iron, an iron hook or button to which a tug or trace may be attached, as on the shaft of a wagon. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To pull with great effort; to strain in labor; as, to tug at the oar; to tug against the stream. [ 1913 Webster ]

He tugged, he shook, till down they came. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To labor; to strive; to struggle. [ 1913 Webster ]

England now is left
To tug and scamble and to part by the teeth
The unowed interest of proud-swelling state. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) Same as Tucan. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Tug, n., 3. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who tugs. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a tugging manner; with laborious pulling. [ 1913 Webster ]