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lag

Flag: gbEnglishMerriam-Webster Dictionary
lag
noun (1)
ˈlag
plural lags

Definition (Entry 1 of 7)

  • a falling or staying behind the act or the condition of lagging //This work must go forward without lag. — Dwight D. Eisenhower
    — see also jet lag
    comparative slowness or delay (as in movement, operation, or development) //In Finland … children begin school at seven. Despite that apparent lag, Finnish students score higher in reading comprehension than students from the UK and the US at age 15. — Melissa Hogenboom
    a delay or interval between two related actions, events, etc. //… the day or so lag between the time you deposit a check in your bank and the time the check clears … . — Lee Smith //… when using Bluetooth headphones to watch videos … there can be some noticeable lag between the motion in the picture and the sound from the headphones. — Markkus Rovito //The longer a person is unaware of a positive test, the more time the person has to infect others. Local directors said they are still experiencing unacceptable lag times of as much as a week between test and data entry. — Edmund H. Mahony //… the enormous lag time between the initial sketches of that new A-line skirt and its arrival in stores. — James Surowiecki
    — see also time lag
  • or lag ​putt, golf a usually long putt struck with the aim of having the ball stop near the hole //The 18th wasn't a picnic for Parker yesterday. He … was forced to make a good lag to assure his par. — Chris Stevenson //One of the best lag putts Vijay Singh ever stroked made him a back-to-back winner on the PGA Tour … — The Columbian
  • archaic someone or something that lags or is last //The omission of Harrison and Braxton and my being next to the lag [in number of votes] give me some alarm. — Thomas Jefferson
verb (1)
lagged; lag​ging; lags

Definition (Entry 2 of 7)

  • transitive ​+ ​intransitive
  • [T/I] to stay or fall behind to fail to keep up with others or with a goal, schedule, etc. //A few runners lagged the others. //He was relieved to find that his friend had also lagged by the wayside. — P. G. Wodehouse //Argentina is the world's fifth-largest wine producer but has lagged other countries developing their wine industries for export. — Clifford Krauss //Repo companies are reportedly excited about the prospect of remotely locking you out of your car if you're lagging on payments. — Beth Wilson —often used with behind //… my horse, being tired, lagged behind. — Charles Darwin //… the island's minister of economic affairs cautioned … that Taiwan was lagging behind its target of producing 20 per cent of its power from renewable sources by 2025 … — Joanna Chiu
    [I] to move, function, or develop with comparative slowness //After Sen. Dole's broadside against the entertainment industry, Time Warner Inc. asked the music industry to develop standards for releasing explicit material and said it would act unilaterally if other companies lagged. — Ellen Graham //The songs … sound a little like he's singing with a digital delay echo, but even a cursory listen reveals that it's not that simple. Sometimes the voices on tape would anticipate him, sometimes they'd lag way behind, sometimes he was a unison chorus. — Kyle Gann
  • [I] to slacken or weaken gradually flag //… headachy brunches where the champagne punch tasted sour and conversation lagged. — John Updike //This music … didn't rush—at least not after a bracingly brisk overture—but never lagged, the textures as airy as a June morning on Coney Island. — Zachary Woolfe
  • [T/I] golf to hit (a golf ball or putt) with the aim of having the ball stop near the hole to hit a lag putt (see lag entry 1 sense 2) //Woods lagged his first putt to within four feet and then sank his second one to win. — Tim Crothers //My chip up onto the green was miserable. I left Bill a 40-foot putt. He lagged and left the ball three feet from the cup. — Giles Tippette
adjective

Definition (Entry 3 of 7)

noun (2)

Definition (Entry 4 of 7)

  • a barrel stave
  • a stave, slat, or strip (as of wood or asbestos) forming part of a covering for a cylindrical object
verb (2)
lagged; lag​ging

Definition (Entry 5 of 7)

verb (3)
lagged; lag​ging

Definition (Entry 6 of 7)

noun (3)

Definition (Entry 7 of 7)

  • chiefly British slang
    a person transported for crime
    convict
    an ex-convict
  • chiefly British slang a jail sentence stretch
Other Words
Verb (1)
  • lag​ger noun, plural lag​gers//“The men whom you would disturb are in front of you, and not, as you fancy, behind you; it is you who are the lagger, not they.” — Samuel Butler
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms: Verb (1)
decay droop emaciate fade fail flag go languish sag sink waste (away) weaken wilt wither
Synonyms: Adjective
bottommost closing concluding final hindmost last latest latter rearmost terminal terminating ultimate
Antonyms: Adjective
beginning earliest first foremost headmost inaugural initial leadoff maiden opening original pioneer primary starting
Examples
Verb (1)
  • //during the fourth quarter the whole team seemed to lag
  • //the tired puppy was lagging behind the rest of the pack
Adjective
  • //we're now in the lag end of the project
First Known Use
Noun (1)
circa 1530, in the meaning defined at sense 3
Verb (1)
1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Adjective
1552, in the meaning defined above
Noun (2)
1659, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb (2)
1887, in the meaning defined above
Verb (3)
circa 1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun (3)
circa 1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
History and Etymology
Noun (1)
probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian dialect lagga to go slowly
Noun (2)
probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse lǫgg rim of a barrel
Verb (3)
origin unknown
noun

Synonyms & Antonyms (Entry 3 of 3)

lag
noun (1)
ˈlag
plural lags

Definition (Entry 1 of 7)

  • a falling or staying behind the act or the condition of lagging //This work must go forward without lag. — Dwight D. Eisenhower
    — see also jet lag
    comparative slowness or delay (as in movement, operation, or development) //In Finland … children begin school at seven. Despite that apparent lag, Finnish students score higher in reading comprehension than students from the UK and the US at age 15. — Melissa Hogenboom
    a delay or interval between two related actions, events, etc. //… the day or so lag between the time you deposit a check in your bank and the time the check clears … . — Lee Smith //… when using Bluetooth headphones to watch videos … there can be some noticeable lag between the motion in the picture and the sound from the headphones. — Markkus Rovito //The longer a person is unaware of a positive test, the more time the person has to infect others. Local directors said they are still experiencing unacceptable lag times of as much as a week between test and data entry. — Edmund H. Mahony //… the enormous lag time between the initial sketches of that new A-line skirt and its arrival in stores. — James Surowiecki
    — see also time lag
  • or lag ​putt, golf a usually long putt struck with the aim of having the ball stop near the hole //The 18th wasn't a picnic for Parker yesterday. He … was forced to make a good lag to assure his par. — Chris Stevenson //One of the best lag putts Vijay Singh ever stroked made him a back-to-back winner on the PGA Tour … — The Columbian
  • archaic someone or something that lags or is last //The omission of Harrison and Braxton and my being next to the lag [in number of votes] give me some alarm. — Thomas Jefferson
verb (1)
lagged; lag​ging; lags

Definition (Entry 2 of 7)

  • transitive ​+ ​intransitive
  • [T/I] to stay or fall behind to fail to keep up with others or with a goal, schedule, etc. //A few runners lagged the others. //He was relieved to find that his friend had also lagged by the wayside. — P. G. Wodehouse //Argentina is the world's fifth-largest wine producer but has lagged other countries developing their wine industries for export. — Clifford Krauss //Repo companies are reportedly excited about the prospect of remotely locking you out of your car if you're lagging on payments. — Beth Wilson —often used with behind //… my horse, being tired, lagged behind. — Charles Darwin //… the island's minister of economic affairs cautioned … that Taiwan was lagging behind its target of producing 20 per cent of its power from renewable sources by 2025 … — Joanna Chiu
    [I] to move, function, or develop with comparative slowness //After Sen. Dole's broadside against the entertainment industry, Time Warner Inc. asked the music industry to develop standards for releasing explicit material and said it would act unilaterally if other companies lagged. — Ellen Graham //The songs … sound a little like he's singing with a digital delay echo, but even a cursory listen reveals that it's not that simple. Sometimes the voices on tape would anticipate him, sometimes they'd lag way behind, sometimes he was a unison chorus. — Kyle Gann
  • [I] to slacken or weaken gradually flag //… headachy brunches where the champagne punch tasted sour and conversation lagged. — John Updike //This music … didn't rush—at least not after a bracingly brisk overture—but never lagged, the textures as airy as a June morning on Coney Island. — Zachary Woolfe
  • [T/I] golf to hit (a golf ball or putt) with the aim of having the ball stop near the hole to hit a lag putt (see lag entry 1 sense 2) //Woods lagged his first putt to within four feet and then sank his second one to win. — Tim Crothers //My chip up onto the green was miserable. I left Bill a 40-foot putt. He lagged and left the ball three feet from the cup. — Giles Tippette
adjective

Definition (Entry 3 of 7)

noun (2)

Definition (Entry 4 of 7)

  • a barrel stave
  • a stave, slat, or strip (as of wood or asbestos) forming part of a covering for a cylindrical object
verb (2)
lagged; lag​ging

Definition (Entry 5 of 7)

verb (3)
lagged; lag​ging

Definition (Entry 6 of 7)

noun (3)

Definition (Entry 7 of 7)

  • chiefly British slang
    a person transported for crime
    convict
    an ex-convict
  • chiefly British slang a jail sentence stretch
Other Words
Verb (1)
  • lag​ger noun, plural lag​gers//“The men whom you would disturb are in front of you, and not, as you fancy, behind you; it is you who are the lagger, not they.” — Samuel Butler
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms: Verb (1)
decay droop emaciate fade fail flag go languish sag sink waste (away) weaken wilt wither
Synonyms: Adjective
bottommost closing concluding final hindmost last latest latter rearmost terminal terminating ultimate
Antonyms: Adjective
beginning earliest first foremost headmost inaugural initial leadoff maiden opening original pioneer primary starting
Examples
Verb (1)
  • //during the fourth quarter the whole team seemed to lag
  • //the tired puppy was lagging behind the rest of the pack
Adjective
  • //we're now in the lag end of the project
First Known Use
Noun (1)
circa 1530, in the meaning defined at sense 3
Verb (1)
1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Adjective
1552, in the meaning defined above
Noun (2)
1659, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb (2)
1887, in the meaning defined above
Verb (3)
circa 1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun (3)
circa 1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
History and Etymology
Noun (1)
probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian dialect lagga to go slowly
Noun (2)
probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse lǫgg rim of a barrel
Verb (3)
origin unknown
noun

Synonyms & Antonyms (Entry 3 of 3)

lag
noun (1)
ˈlag
plural lags

Definition (Entry 1 of 7)

  • a falling or staying behind the act or the condition of lagging //This work must go forward without lag. — Dwight D. Eisenhower
    — see also jet lag
    comparative slowness or delay (as in movement, operation, or development) //In Finland … children begin school at seven. Despite that apparent lag, Finnish students score higher in reading comprehension than students from the UK and the US at age 15. — Melissa Hogenboom
    a delay or interval between two related actions, events, etc. //… the day or so lag between the time you deposit a check in your bank and the time the check clears … . — Lee Smith //… when using Bluetooth headphones to watch videos … there can be some noticeable lag between the motion in the picture and the sound from the headphones. — Markkus Rovito //The longer a person is unaware of a positive test, the more time the person has to infect others. Local directors said they are still experiencing unacceptable lag times of as much as a week between test and data entry. — Edmund H. Mahony //… the enormous lag time between the initial sketches of that new A-line skirt and its arrival in stores. — James Surowiecki
    — see also time lag
  • or lag ​putt, golf a usually long putt struck with the aim of having the ball stop near the hole //The 18th wasn't a picnic for Parker yesterday. He … was forced to make a good lag to assure his par. — Chris Stevenson //One of the best lag putts Vijay Singh ever stroked made him a back-to-back winner on the PGA Tour … — The Columbian
  • archaic someone or something that lags or is last //The omission of Harrison and Braxton and my being next to the lag [in number of votes] give me some alarm. — Thomas Jefferson
verb (1)
lagged; lag​ging; lags

Definition (Entry 2 of 7)

  • transitive ​+ ​intransitive
  • [T/I] to stay or fall behind to fail to keep up with others or with a goal, schedule, etc. //A few runners lagged the others. //He was relieved to find that his friend had also lagged by the wayside. — P. G. Wodehouse //Argentina is the world's fifth-largest wine producer but has lagged other countries developing their wine industries for export. — Clifford Krauss //Repo companies are reportedly excited about the prospect of remotely locking you out of your car if you're lagging on payments. — Beth Wilson —often used with behind //… my horse, being tired, lagged behind. — Charles Darwin //… the island's minister of economic affairs cautioned … that Taiwan was lagging behind its target of producing 20 per cent of its power from renewable sources by 2025 … — Joanna Chiu
    [I] to move, function, or develop with comparative slowness //After Sen. Dole's broadside against the entertainment industry, Time Warner Inc. asked the music industry to develop standards for releasing explicit material and said it would act unilaterally if other companies lagged. — Ellen Graham //The songs … sound a little like he's singing with a digital delay echo, but even a cursory listen reveals that it's not that simple. Sometimes the voices on tape would anticipate him, sometimes they'd lag way behind, sometimes he was a unison chorus. — Kyle Gann
  • [I] to slacken or weaken gradually flag //… headachy brunches where the champagne punch tasted sour and conversation lagged. — John Updike //This music … didn't rush—at least not after a bracingly brisk overture—but never lagged, the textures as airy as a June morning on Coney Island. — Zachary Woolfe
  • [T/I] golf to hit (a golf ball or putt) with the aim of having the ball stop near the hole to hit a lag putt (see lag entry 1 sense 2) //Woods lagged his first putt to within four feet and then sank his second one to win. — Tim Crothers //My chip up onto the green was miserable. I left Bill a 40-foot putt. He lagged and left the ball three feet from the cup. — Giles Tippette
adjective

Definition (Entry 3 of 7)

noun (2)

Definition (Entry 4 of 7)

  • a barrel stave
  • a stave, slat, or strip (as of wood or asbestos) forming part of a covering for a cylindrical object
verb (2)
lagged; lag​ging

Definition (Entry 5 of 7)

verb (3)
lagged; lag​ging

Definition (Entry 6 of 7)

noun (3)

Definition (Entry 7 of 7)

  • chiefly British slang
    a person transported for crime
    convict
    an ex-convict
  • chiefly British slang a jail sentence stretch
Other Words
Verb (1)
  • lag​ger noun, plural lag​gers//“The men whom you would disturb are in front of you, and not, as you fancy, behind you; it is you who are the lagger, not they.” — Samuel Butler
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms: Verb (1)
decay droop emaciate fade fail flag go languish sag sink waste (away) weaken wilt wither
Synonyms: Adjective
bottommost closing concluding final hindmost last latest latter rearmost terminal terminating ultimate
Antonyms: Adjective
beginning earliest first foremost headmost inaugural initial leadoff maiden opening original pioneer primary starting
Examples
Verb (1)
  • //during the fourth quarter the whole team seemed to lag
  • //the tired puppy was lagging behind the rest of the pack
Adjective
  • //we're now in the lag end of the project
First Known Use
Noun (1)
circa 1530, in the meaning defined at sense 3
Verb (1)
1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Adjective
1552, in the meaning defined above
Noun (2)
1659, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb (2)
1887, in the meaning defined above
Verb (3)
circa 1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun (3)
circa 1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
History and Etymology
Noun (1)
probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian dialect lagga to go slowly
Noun (2)
probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse lǫgg rim of a barrel
Verb (3)
origin unknown
noun

Synonyms & Antonyms (Entry 3 of 3)

lag
noun (1)
ˈlag
plural lags

Definition (Entry 1 of 7)

  • a falling or staying behind the act or the condition of lagging //This work must go forward without lag. — Dwight D. Eisenhower
    — see also jet lag
    comparative slowness or delay (as in movement, operation, or development) //In Finland … children begin school at seven. Despite that apparent lag, Finnish students score higher in reading comprehension than students from the UK and the US at age 15. — Melissa Hogenboom
    a delay or interval between two related actions, events, etc. //… the day or so lag between the time you deposit a check in your bank and the time the check clears … . — Lee Smith //… when using Bluetooth headphones to watch videos … there can be some noticeable lag between the motion in the picture and the sound from the headphones. — Markkus Rovito //The longer a person is unaware of a positive test, the more time the person has to infect others. Local directors said they are still experiencing unacceptable lag times of as much as a week between test and data entry. — Edmund H. Mahony //… the enormous lag time between the initial sketches of that new A-line skirt and its arrival in stores. — James Surowiecki
    — see also time lag
  • or lag ​putt, golf a usually long putt struck with the aim of having the ball stop near the hole //The 18th wasn't a picnic for Parker yesterday. He … was forced to make a good lag to assure his par. — Chris Stevenson //One of the best lag putts Vijay Singh ever stroked made him a back-to-back winner on the PGA Tour … — The Columbian
  • archaic someone or something that lags or is last //The omission of Harrison and Braxton and my being next to the lag [in number of votes] give me some alarm. — Thomas Jefferson
verb (1)
lagged; lag​ging; lags

Definition (Entry 2 of 7)

  • transitive ​+ ​intransitive
  • [T/I] to stay or fall behind to fail to keep up with others or with a goal, schedule, etc. //A few runners lagged the others. //He was relieved to find that his friend had also lagged by the wayside. — P. G. Wodehouse //Argentina is the world's fifth-largest wine producer but has lagged other countries developing their wine industries for export. — Clifford Krauss //Repo companies are reportedly excited about the prospect of remotely locking you out of your car if you're lagging on payments. — Beth Wilson —often used with behind //… my horse, being tired, lagged behind. — Charles Darwin //… the island's minister of economic affairs cautioned … that Taiwan was lagging behind its target of producing 20 per cent of its power from renewable sources by 2025 … — Joanna Chiu
    [I] to move, function, or develop with comparative slowness //After Sen. Dole's broadside against the entertainment industry, Time Warner Inc. asked the music industry to develop standards for releasing explicit material and said it would act unilaterally if other companies lagged. — Ellen Graham //The songs … sound a little like he's singing with a digital delay echo, but even a cursory listen reveals that it's not that simple. Sometimes the voices on tape would anticipate him, sometimes they'd lag way behind, sometimes he was a unison chorus. — Kyle Gann
  • [I] to slacken or weaken gradually flag //… headachy brunches where the champagne punch tasted sour and conversation lagged. — John Updike //This music … didn't rush—at least not after a bracingly brisk overture—but never lagged, the textures as airy as a June morning on Coney Island. — Zachary Woolfe
  • [T/I] golf to hit (a golf ball or putt) with the aim of having the ball stop near the hole to hit a lag putt (see lag entry 1 sense 2) //Woods lagged his first putt to within four feet and then sank his second one to win. — Tim Crothers //My chip up onto the green was miserable. I left Bill a 40-foot putt. He lagged and left the ball three feet from the cup. — Giles Tippette
adjective

Definition (Entry 3 of 7)

noun (2)

Definition (Entry 4 of 7)

  • a barrel stave
  • a stave, slat, or strip (as of wood or asbestos) forming part of a covering for a cylindrical object
verb (2)
lagged; lag​ging

Definition (Entry 5 of 7)

verb (3)
lagged; lag​ging

Definition (Entry 6 of 7)

noun (3)

Definition (Entry 7 of 7)

  • chiefly British slang
    a person transported for crime
    convict
    an ex-convict
  • chiefly British slang a jail sentence stretch
Other Words
Verb (1)
  • lag​ger noun, plural lag​gers//“The men whom you would disturb are in front of you, and not, as you fancy, behind you; it is you who are the lagger, not they.” — Samuel Butler
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms: Verb (1)
decay droop emaciate fade fail flag go languish sag sink waste (away) weaken wilt wither
Synonyms: Adjective
bottommost closing concluding final hindmost last latest latter rearmost terminal terminating ultimate
Antonyms: Adjective
beginning earliest first foremost headmost inaugural initial leadoff maiden opening original pioneer primary starting
Examples
Verb (1)
  • //during the fourth quarter the whole team seemed to lag
  • //the tired puppy was lagging behind the rest of the pack
Adjective
  • //we're now in the lag end of the project
First Known Use
Noun (1)
circa 1530, in the meaning defined at sense 3
Verb (1)
1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Adjective
1552, in the meaning defined above
Noun (2)
1659, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb (2)
1887, in the meaning defined above
Verb (3)
circa 1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun (3)
circa 1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
History and Etymology
Noun (1)
probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian dialect lagga to go slowly
Noun (2)
probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse lǫgg rim of a barrel
Verb (3)
origin unknown
noun

Synonyms & Antonyms (Entry 3 of 3)

lag
noun (1)
ˈlag
plural lags

Definition (Entry 1 of 7)

  • a falling or staying behind the act or the condition of lagging //This work must go forward without lag. — Dwight D. Eisenhower
    — see also jet lag
    comparative slowness or delay (as in movement, operation, or development) //In Finland … children begin school at seven. Despite that apparent lag, Finnish students score higher in reading comprehension than students from the UK and the US at age 15. — Melissa Hogenboom
    a delay or interval between two related actions, events, etc. //… the day or so lag between the time you deposit a check in your bank and the time the check clears … . — Lee Smith //… when using Bluetooth headphones to watch videos … there can be some noticeable lag between the motion in the picture and the sound from the headphones. — Markkus Rovito //The longer a person is unaware of a positive test, the more time the person has to infect others. Local directors said they are still experiencing unacceptable lag times of as much as a week between test and data entry. — Edmund H. Mahony //… the enormous lag time between the initial sketches of that new A-line skirt and its arrival in stores. — James Surowiecki
    — see also time lag
  • or lag ​putt, golf a usually long putt struck with the aim of having the ball stop near the hole //The 18th wasn't a picnic for Parker yesterday. He … was forced to make a good lag to assure his par. — Chris Stevenson //One of the best lag putts Vijay Singh ever stroked made him a back-to-back winner on the PGA Tour … — The Columbian
  • archaic someone or something that lags or is last //The omission of Harrison and Braxton and my being next to the lag [in number of votes] give me some alarm. — Thomas Jefferson
verb (1)
lagged; lag​ging; lags

Definition (Entry 2 of 7)

  • transitive ​+ ​intransitive
  • [T/I] to stay or fall behind to fail to keep up with others or with a goal, schedule, etc. //A few runners lagged the others. //He was relieved to find that his friend had also lagged by the wayside. — P. G. Wodehouse //Argentina is the world's fifth-largest wine producer but has lagged other countries developing their wine industries for export. — Clifford Krauss //Repo companies are reportedly excited about the prospect of remotely locking you out of your car if you're lagging on payments. — Beth Wilson —often used with behind //… my horse, being tired, lagged behind. — Charles Darwin //… the island's minister of economic affairs cautioned … that Taiwan was lagging behind its target of producing 20 per cent of its power from renewable sources by 2025 … — Joanna Chiu
    [I] to move, function, or develop with comparative slowness //After Sen. Dole's broadside against the entertainment industry, Time Warner Inc. asked the music industry to develop standards for releasing explicit material and said it would act unilaterally if other companies lagged. — Ellen Graham //The songs … sound a little like he's singing with a digital delay echo, but even a cursory listen reveals that it's not that simple. Sometimes the voices on tape would anticipate him, sometimes they'd lag way behind, sometimes he was a unison chorus. — Kyle Gann
  • [I] to slacken or weaken gradually flag //… headachy brunches where the champagne punch tasted sour and conversation lagged. — John Updike //This music … didn't rush—at least not after a bracingly brisk overture—but never lagged, the textures as airy as a June morning on Coney Island. — Zachary Woolfe
  • [T/I] golf to hit (a golf ball or putt) with the aim of having the ball stop near the hole to hit a lag putt (see lag entry 1 sense 2) //Woods lagged his first putt to within four feet and then sank his second one to win. — Tim Crothers //My chip up onto the green was miserable. I left Bill a 40-foot putt. He lagged and left the ball three feet from the cup. — Giles Tippette
adjective

Definition (Entry 3 of 7)

noun (2)

Definition (Entry 4 of 7)

  • a barrel stave
  • a stave, slat, or strip (as of wood or asbestos) forming part of a covering for a cylindrical object
verb (2)
lagged; lag​ging

Definition (Entry 5 of 7)

verb (3)
lagged; lag​ging

Definition (Entry 6 of 7)

noun (3)

Definition (Entry 7 of 7)

  • chiefly British slang
    a person transported for crime
    convict
    an ex-convict
  • chiefly British slang a jail sentence stretch
Other Words
Verb (1)
  • lag​ger noun, plural lag​gers//“The men whom you would disturb are in front of you, and not, as you fancy, behind you; it is you who are the lagger, not they.” — Samuel Butler
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms: Verb (1)
decay droop emaciate fade fail flag go languish sag sink waste (away) weaken wilt wither
Synonyms: Adjective
bottommost closing concluding final hindmost last latest latter rearmost terminal terminating ultimate
Antonyms: Adjective
beginning earliest first foremost headmost inaugural initial leadoff maiden opening original pioneer primary starting
Examples
Verb (1)
  • //during the fourth quarter the whole team seemed to lag
  • //the tired puppy was lagging behind the rest of the pack
Adjective
  • //we're now in the lag end of the project
First Known Use
Noun (1)
circa 1530, in the meaning defined at sense 3
Verb (1)
1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Adjective
1552, in the meaning defined above
Noun (2)
1659, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb (2)
1887, in the meaning defined above
Verb (3)
circa 1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun (3)
circa 1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
History and Etymology
Noun (1)
probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian dialect lagga to go slowly
Noun (2)
probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse lǫgg rim of a barrel
Verb (3)
origin unknown
noun

Synonyms & Antonyms (Entry 3 of 3)

lag
noun (1)
ˈlag
plural lags

Definition (Entry 1 of 7)

  • a falling or staying behind the act or the condition of lagging //This work must go forward without lag. — Dwight D. Eisenhower
    — see also jet lag
    comparative slowness or delay (as in movement, operation, or development) //In Finland … children begin school at seven. Despite that apparent lag, Finnish students score higher in reading comprehension than students from the UK and the US at age 15. — Melissa Hogenboom
    a delay or interval between two related actions, events, etc. //… the day or so lag between the time you deposit a check in your bank and the time the check clears … . — Lee Smith //… when using Bluetooth headphones to watch videos … there can be some noticeable lag between the motion in the picture and the sound from the headphones. — Markkus Rovito //The longer a person is unaware of a positive test, the more time the person has to infect others. Local directors said they are still experiencing unacceptable lag times of as much as a week between test and data entry. — Edmund H. Mahony //… the enormous lag time between the initial sketches of that new A-line skirt and its arrival in stores. — James Surowiecki
    — see also time lag
  • or lag ​putt, golf a usually long putt struck with the aim of having the ball stop near the hole //The 18th wasn't a picnic for Parker yesterday. He … was forced to make a good lag to assure his par. — Chris Stevenson //One of the best lag putts Vijay Singh ever stroked made him a back-to-back winner on the PGA Tour … — The Columbian
  • archaic someone or something that lags or is last //The omission of Harrison and Braxton and my being next to the lag [in number of votes] give me some alarm. — Thomas Jefferson
verb (1)
lagged; lag​ging; lags

Definition (Entry 2 of 7)

  • transitive ​+ ​intransitive
  • [T/I] to stay or fall behind to fail to keep up with others or with a goal, schedule, etc. //A few runners lagged the others. //He was relieved to find that his friend had also lagged by the wayside. — P. G. Wodehouse //Argentina is the world's fifth-largest wine producer but has lagged other countries developing their wine industries for export. — Clifford Krauss //Repo companies are reportedly excited about the prospect of remotely locking you out of your car if you're lagging on payments. — Beth Wilson —often used with behind //… my horse, being tired, lagged behind. — Charles Darwin //… the island's minister of economic affairs cautioned … that Taiwan was lagging behind its target of producing 20 per cent of its power from renewable sources by 2025 … — Joanna Chiu
    [I] to move, function, or develop with comparative slowness //After Sen. Dole's broadside against the entertainment industry, Time Warner Inc. asked the music industry to develop standards for releasing explicit material and said it would act unilaterally if other companies lagged. — Ellen Graham //The songs … sound a little like he's singing with a digital delay echo, but even a cursory listen reveals that it's not that simple. Sometimes the voices on tape would anticipate him, sometimes they'd lag way behind, sometimes he was a unison chorus. — Kyle Gann
  • [I] to slacken or weaken gradually flag //… headachy brunches where the champagne punch tasted sour and conversation lagged. — John Updike //This music … didn't rush—at least not after a bracingly brisk overture—but never lagged, the textures as airy as a June morning on Coney Island. — Zachary Woolfe
  • [T/I] golf to hit (a golf ball or putt) with the aim of having the ball stop near the hole to hit a lag putt (see lag entry 1 sense 2) //Woods lagged his first putt to within four feet and then sank his second one to win. — Tim Crothers //My chip up onto the green was miserable. I left Bill a 40-foot putt. He lagged and left the ball three feet from the cup. — Giles Tippette
adjective

Definition (Entry 3 of 7)

noun (2)

Definition (Entry 4 of 7)

  • a barrel stave
  • a stave, slat, or strip (as of wood or asbestos) forming part of a covering for a cylindrical object
verb (2)
lagged; lag​ging

Definition (Entry 5 of 7)

verb (3)
lagged; lag​ging

Definition (Entry 6 of 7)

noun (3)

Definition (Entry 7 of 7)

  • chiefly British slang
    a person transported for crime
    convict
    an ex-convict
  • chiefly British slang a jail sentence stretch
Other Words
Verb (1)
  • lag​ger noun, plural lag​gers//“The men whom you would disturb are in front of you, and not, as you fancy, behind you; it is you who are the lagger, not they.” — Samuel Butler
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms: Verb (1)
decay droop emaciate fade fail flag go languish sag sink waste (away) weaken wilt wither
Synonyms: Adjective
bottommost closing concluding final hindmost last latest latter rearmost terminal terminating ultimate
Antonyms: Adjective
beginning earliest first foremost headmost inaugural initial leadoff maiden opening original pioneer primary starting
Examples
Verb (1)
  • //during the fourth quarter the whole team seemed to lag
  • //the tired puppy was lagging behind the rest of the pack
Adjective
  • //we're now in the lag end of the project
First Known Use
Noun (1)
circa 1530, in the meaning defined at sense 3
Verb (1)
1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Adjective
1552, in the meaning defined above
Noun (2)
1659, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb (2)
1887, in the meaning defined above
Verb (3)
circa 1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun (3)
circa 1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
History and Etymology
Noun (1)
probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian dialect lagga to go slowly
Noun (2)
probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse lǫgg rim of a barrel
Verb (3)
origin unknown
noun

Synonyms & Antonyms (Entry 3 of 3)

lag
noun (1)
ˈlag
plural lags

Definition (Entry 1 of 7)

  • a falling or staying behind the act or the condition of lagging //This work must go forward without lag. — Dwight D. Eisenhower
    — see also jet lag
    comparative slowness or delay (as in movement, operation, or development) //In Finland … children begin school at seven. Despite that apparent lag, Finnish students score higher in reading comprehension than students from the UK and the US at age 15. — Melissa Hogenboom
    a delay or interval between two related actions, events, etc. //… the day or so lag between the time you deposit a check in your bank and the time the check clears … . — Lee Smith //… when using Bluetooth headphones to watch videos … there can be some noticeable lag between the motion in the picture and the sound from the headphones. — Markkus Rovito //The longer a person is unaware of a positive test, the more time the person has to infect others. Local directors said they are still experiencing unacceptable lag times of as much as a week between test and data entry. — Edmund H. Mahony //… the enormous lag time between the initial sketches of that new A-line skirt and its arrival in stores. — James Surowiecki
    — see also time lag
  • or lag ​putt, golf a usually long putt struck with the aim of having the ball stop near the hole //The 18th wasn't a picnic for Parker yesterday. He … was forced to make a good lag to assure his par. — Chris Stevenson //One of the best lag putts Vijay Singh ever stroked made him a back-to-back winner on the PGA Tour … — The Columbian
  • archaic someone or something that lags or is last //The omission of Harrison and Braxton and my being next to the lag [in number of votes] give me some alarm. — Thomas Jefferson
verb (1)
lagged; lag​ging; lags

Definition (Entry 2 of 7)

  • transitive ​+ ​intransitive
  • [T/I] to stay or fall behind to fail to keep up with others or with a goal, schedule, etc. //A few runners lagged the others. //He was relieved to find that his friend had also lagged by the wayside. — P. G. Wodehouse //Argentina is the world's fifth-largest wine producer but has lagged other countries developing their wine industries for export. — Clifford Krauss //Repo companies are reportedly excited about the prospect of remotely locking you out of your car if you're lagging on payments. — Beth Wilson —often used with behind //… my horse, being tired, lagged behind. — Charles Darwin //… the island's minister of economic affairs cautioned … that Taiwan was lagging behind its target of producing 20 per cent of its power from renewable sources by 2025 … — Joanna Chiu
    [I] to move, function, or develop with comparative slowness //After Sen. Dole's broadside against the entertainment industry, Time Warner Inc. asked the music industry to develop standards for releasing explicit material and said it would act unilaterally if other companies lagged. — Ellen Graham //The songs … sound a little like he's singing with a digital delay echo, but even a cursory listen reveals that it's not that simple. Sometimes the voices on tape would anticipate him, sometimes they'd lag way behind, sometimes he was a unison chorus. — Kyle Gann
  • [I] to slacken or weaken gradually flag //… headachy brunches where the champagne punch tasted sour and conversation lagged. — John Updike //This music … didn't rush—at least not after a bracingly brisk overture—but never lagged, the textures as airy as a June morning on Coney Island. — Zachary Woolfe
  • [T/I] golf to hit (a golf ball or putt) with the aim of having the ball stop near the hole to hit a lag putt (see lag entry 1 sense 2) //Woods lagged his first putt to within four feet and then sank his second one to win. — Tim Crothers //My chip up onto the green was miserable. I left Bill a 40-foot putt. He lagged and left the ball three feet from the cup. — Giles Tippette
adjective

Definition (Entry 3 of 7)

noun (2)

Definition (Entry 4 of 7)

  • a barrel stave
  • a stave, slat, or strip (as of wood or asbestos) forming part of a covering for a cylindrical object
verb (2)
lagged; lag​ging

Definition (Entry 5 of 7)

verb (3)
lagged; lag​ging

Definition (Entry 6 of 7)

noun (3)

Definition (Entry 7 of 7)

  • chiefly British slang
    a person transported for crime
    convict
    an ex-convict
  • chiefly British slang a jail sentence stretch
Other Words
Verb (1)
  • lag​ger noun, plural lag​gers//“The men whom you would disturb are in front of you, and not, as you fancy, behind you; it is you who are the lagger, not they.” — Samuel Butler
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms: Verb (1)
decay droop emaciate fade fail flag go languish sag sink waste (away) weaken wilt wither
Synonyms: Adjective
bottommost closing concluding final hindmost last latest latter rearmost terminal terminating ultimate
Antonyms: Adjective
beginning earliest first foremost headmost inaugural initial leadoff maiden opening original pioneer primary starting
Examples
Verb (1)
  • //during the fourth quarter the whole team seemed to lag
  • //the tired puppy was lagging behind the rest of the pack
Adjective
  • //we're now in the lag end of the project
First Known Use
Noun (1)
circa 1530, in the meaning defined at sense 3
Verb (1)
1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Adjective
1552, in the meaning defined above
Noun (2)
1659, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb (2)
1887, in the meaning defined above
Verb (3)
circa 1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun (3)
circa 1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
History and Etymology
Noun (1)
probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian dialect lagga to go slowly
Noun (2)
probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse lǫgg rim of a barrel
Verb (3)
origin unknown
noun

Synonyms & Antonyms (Entry 3 of 3)

lag
noun (1)
ˈlag
plural lags

Definition (Entry 1 of 7)

  • a falling or staying behind the act or the condition of lagging //This work must go forward without lag. — Dwight D. Eisenhower
    — see also jet lag
    comparative slowness or delay (as in movement, operation, or development) //In Finland … children begin school at seven. Despite that apparent lag, Finnish students score higher in reading comprehension than students from the UK and the US at age 15. — Melissa Hogenboom
    a delay or interval between two related actions, events, etc. //… the day or so lag between the time you deposit a check in your bank and the time the check clears … . — Lee Smith //… when using Bluetooth headphones to watch videos … there can be some noticeable lag between the motion in the picture and the sound from the headphones. — Markkus Rovito //The longer a person is unaware of a positive test, the more time the person has to infect others. Local directors said they are still experiencing unacceptable lag times of as much as a week between test and data entry. — Edmund H. Mahony //… the enormous lag time between the initial sketches of that new A-line skirt and its arrival in stores. — James Surowiecki
    — see also time lag
  • or lag ​putt, golf a usually long putt struck with the aim of having the ball stop near the hole //The 18th wasn't a picnic for Parker yesterday. He … was forced to make a good lag to assure his par. — Chris Stevenson //One of the best lag putts Vijay Singh ever stroked made him a back-to-back winner on the PGA Tour … — The Columbian
  • archaic someone or something that lags or is last //The omission of Harrison and Braxton and my being next to the lag [in number of votes] give me some alarm. — Thomas Jefferson
verb (1)
lagged; lag​ging; lags

Definition (Entry 2 of 7)

  • transitive ​+ ​intransitive
  • [T/I] to stay or fall behind to fail to keep up with others or with a goal, schedule, etc. //A few runners lagged the others. //He was relieved to find that his friend had also lagged by the wayside. — P. G. Wodehouse //Argentina is the world's fifth-largest wine producer but has lagged other countries developing their wine industries for export. — Clifford Krauss //Repo companies are reportedly excited about the prospect of remotely locking you out of your car if you're lagging on payments. — Beth Wilson —often used with behind //… my horse, being tired, lagged behind. — Charles Darwin //… the island's minister of economic affairs cautioned … that Taiwan was lagging behind its target of producing 20 per cent of its power from renewable sources by 2025 … — Joanna Chiu
    [I] to move, function, or develop with comparative slowness //After Sen. Dole's broadside against the entertainment industry, Time Warner Inc. asked the music industry to develop standards for releasing explicit material and said it would act unilaterally if other companies lagged. — Ellen Graham //The songs … sound a little like he's singing with a digital delay echo, but even a cursory listen reveals that it's not that simple. Sometimes the voices on tape would anticipate him, sometimes they'd lag way behind, sometimes he was a unison chorus. — Kyle Gann
  • [I] to slacken or weaken gradually flag //… headachy brunches where the champagne punch tasted sour and conversation lagged. — John Updike //This music … didn't rush—at least not after a bracingly brisk overture—but never lagged, the textures as airy as a June morning on Coney Island. — Zachary Woolfe
  • [T/I] golf to hit (a golf ball or putt) with the aim of having the ball stop near the hole to hit a lag putt (see lag entry 1 sense 2) //Woods lagged his first putt to within four feet and then sank his second one to win. — Tim Crothers //My chip up onto the green was miserable. I left Bill a 40-foot putt. He lagged and left the ball three feet from the cup. — Giles Tippette
adjective

Definition (Entry 3 of 7)

noun (2)

Definition (Entry 4 of 7)

  • a barrel stave
  • a stave, slat, or strip (as of wood or asbestos) forming part of a covering for a cylindrical object
verb (2)
lagged; lag​ging

Definition (Entry 5 of 7)

verb (3)
lagged; lag​ging

Definition (Entry 6 of 7)

noun (3)

Definition (Entry 7 of 7)

  • chiefly British slang
    a person transported for crime
    convict
    an ex-convict
  • chiefly British slang a jail sentence stretch
Other Words
Verb (1)
  • lag​ger noun, plural lag​gers//“The men whom you would disturb are in front of you, and not, as you fancy, behind you; it is you who are the lagger, not they.” — Samuel Butler
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms: Verb (1)
decay droop emaciate fade fail flag go languish sag sink waste (away) weaken wilt wither
Synonyms: Adjective
bottommost closing concluding final hindmost last latest latter rearmost terminal terminating ultimate
Antonyms: Adjective
beginning earliest first foremost headmost inaugural initial leadoff maiden opening original pioneer primary starting
Examples
Verb (1)
  • //during the fourth quarter the whole team seemed to lag
  • //the tired puppy was lagging behind the rest of the pack
Adjective
  • //we're now in the lag end of the project
First Known Use
Noun (1)
circa 1530, in the meaning defined at sense 3
Verb (1)
1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Adjective
1552, in the meaning defined above
Noun (2)
1659, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb (2)
1887, in the meaning defined above
Verb (3)
circa 1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun (3)
circa 1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
History and Etymology
Noun (1)
probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian dialect lagga to go slowly
Noun (2)
probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse lǫgg rim of a barrel
Verb (3)
origin unknown
noun

Synonyms & Antonyms (Entry 3 of 3)

lag
noun (1)
ˈlag
plural lags

Definition (Entry 1 of 7)

  • a falling or staying behind the act or the condition of lagging //This work must go forward without lag. — Dwight D. Eisenhower
    — see also jet lag
    comparative slowness or delay (as in movement, operation, or development) //In Finland … children begin school at seven. Despite that apparent lag, Finnish students score higher in reading comprehension than students from the UK and the US at age 15. — Melissa Hogenboom
    a delay or interval between two related actions, events, etc. //… the day or so lag between the time you deposit a check in your bank and the time the check clears … . — Lee Smith //… when using Bluetooth headphones to watch videos … there can be some noticeable lag between the motion in the picture and the sound from the headphones. — Markkus Rovito //The longer a person is unaware of a positive test, the more time the person has to infect others. Local directors said they are still experiencing unacceptable lag times of as much as a week between test and data entry. — Edmund H. Mahony //… the enormous lag time between the initial sketches of that new A-line skirt and its arrival in stores. — James Surowiecki
    — see also time lag
  • or lag ​putt, golf a usually long putt struck with the aim of having the ball stop near the hole //The 18th wasn't a picnic for Parker yesterday. He … was forced to make a good lag to assure his par. — Chris Stevenson //One of the best lag putts Vijay Singh ever stroked made him a back-to-back winner on the PGA Tour … — The Columbian
  • archaic someone or something that lags or is last //The omission of Harrison and Braxton and my being next to the lag [in number of votes] give me some alarm. — Thomas Jefferson
verb (1)
lagged; lag​ging; lags

Definition (Entry 2 of 7)

  • transitive ​+ ​intransitive
  • [T/I] to stay or fall behind to fail to keep up with others or with a goal, schedule, etc. //A few runners lagged the others. //He was relieved to find that his friend had also lagged by the wayside. — P. G. Wodehouse //Argentina is the world's fifth-largest wine producer but has lagged other countries developing their wine industries for export. — Clifford Krauss //Repo companies are reportedly excited about the prospect of remotely locking you out of your car if you're lagging on payments. — Beth Wilson —often used with behind //… my horse, being tired, lagged behind. — Charles Darwin //… the island's minister of economic affairs cautioned … that Taiwan was lagging behind its target of producing 20 per cent of its power from renewable sources by 2025 … — Joanna Chiu
    [I] to move, function, or develop with comparative slowness //After Sen. Dole's broadside against the entertainment industry, Time Warner Inc. asked the music industry to develop standards for releasing explicit material and said it would act unilaterally if other companies lagged. — Ellen Graham //The songs … sound a little like he's singing with a digital delay echo, but even a cursory listen reveals that it's not that simple. Sometimes the voices on tape would anticipate him, sometimes they'd lag way behind, sometimes he was a unison chorus. — Kyle Gann
  • [I] to slacken or weaken gradually flag //… headachy brunches where the champagne punch tasted sour and conversation lagged. — John Updike //This music … didn't rush—at least not after a bracingly brisk overture—but never lagged, the textures as airy as a June morning on Coney Island. — Zachary Woolfe
  • [T/I] golf to hit (a golf ball or putt) with the aim of having the ball stop near the hole to hit a lag putt (see lag entry 1 sense 2) //Woods lagged his first putt to within four feet and then sank his second one to win. — Tim Crothers //My chip up onto the green was miserable. I left Bill a 40-foot putt. He lagged and left the ball three feet from the cup. — Giles Tippette
adjective

Definition (Entry 3 of 7)

noun (2)

Definition (Entry 4 of 7)

  • a barrel stave
  • a stave, slat, or strip (as of wood or asbestos) forming part of a covering for a cylindrical object
verb (2)
lagged; lag​ging

Definition (Entry 5 of 7)

verb (3)
lagged; lag​ging

Definition (Entry 6 of 7)

noun (3)

Definition (Entry 7 of 7)

  • chiefly British slang
    a person transported for crime
    convict
    an ex-convict
  • chiefly British slang a jail sentence stretch
Other Words
Verb (1)
  • lag​ger noun, plural lag​gers//“The men whom you would disturb are in front of you, and not, as you fancy, behind you; it is you who are the lagger, not they.” — Samuel Butler
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms: Verb (1)
decay droop emaciate fade fail flag go languish sag sink waste (away) weaken wilt wither
Synonyms: Adjective
bottommost closing concluding final hindmost last latest latter rearmost terminal terminating ultimate
Antonyms: Adjective
beginning earliest first foremost headmost inaugural initial leadoff maiden opening original pioneer primary starting
Examples
Verb (1)
  • //during the fourth quarter the whole team seemed to lag
  • //the tired puppy was lagging behind the rest of the pack
Adjective
  • //we're now in the lag end of the project
First Known Use
Noun (1)
circa 1530, in the meaning defined at sense 3
Verb (1)
1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Adjective
1552, in the meaning defined above
Noun (2)
1659, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb (2)
1887, in the meaning defined above
Verb (3)
circa 1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun (3)
circa 1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
History and Etymology
Noun (1)
probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian dialect lagga to go slowly
Noun (2)
probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse lǫgg rim of a barrel
Verb (3)
origin unknown
noun

Synonyms & Antonyms (Entry 3 of 3)

lag
noun (1)
ˈlag
plural lags

Definition (Entry 1 of 7)

  • a falling or staying behind the act or the condition of lagging //This work must go forward without lag. — Dwight D. Eisenhower
    — see also jet lag
    comparative slowness or delay (as in movement, operation, or development) //In Finland … children begin school at seven. Despite that apparent lag, Finnish students score higher in reading comprehension than students from the UK and the US at age 15. — Melissa Hogenboom
    a delay or interval between two related actions, events, etc. //… the day or so lag between the time you deposit a check in your bank and the time the check clears … . — Lee Smith //… when using Bluetooth headphones to watch videos … there can be some noticeable lag between the motion in the picture and the sound from the headphones. — Markkus Rovito //The longer a person is unaware of a positive test, the more time the person has to infect others. Local directors said they are still experiencing unacceptable lag times of as much as a week between test and data entry. — Edmund H. Mahony //… the enormous lag time between the initial sketches of that new A-line skirt and its arrival in stores. — James Surowiecki
    — see also time lag
  • or lag ​putt, golf a usually long putt struck with the aim of having the ball stop near the hole //The 18th wasn't a picnic for Parker yesterday. He … was forced to make a good lag to assure his par. — Chris Stevenson //One of the best lag putts Vijay Singh ever stroked made him a back-to-back winner on the PGA Tour … — The Columbian
  • archaic someone or something that lags or is last //The omission of Harrison and Braxton and my being next to the lag [in number of votes] give me some alarm. — Thomas Jefferson
verb (1)
lagged; lag​ging; lags

Definition (Entry 2 of 7)

  • transitive ​+ ​intransitive
  • [T/I] to stay or fall behind to fail to keep up with others or with a goal, schedule, etc. //A few runners lagged the others. //He was relieved to find that his friend had also lagged by the wayside. — P. G. Wodehouse //Argentina is the world's fifth-largest wine producer but has lagged other countries developing their wine industries for export. — Clifford Krauss //Repo companies are reportedly excited about the prospect of remotely locking you out of your car if you're lagging on payments. — Beth Wilson —often used with behind //… my horse, being tired, lagged behind. — Charles Darwin //… the island's minister of economic affairs cautioned … that Taiwan was lagging behind its target of producing 20 per cent of its power from renewable sources by 2025 … — Joanna Chiu
    [I] to move, function, or develop with comparative slowness //After Sen. Dole's broadside against the entertainment industry, Time Warner Inc. asked the music industry to develop standards for releasing explicit material and said it would act unilaterally if other companies lagged. — Ellen Graham //The songs … sound a little like he's singing with a digital delay echo, but even a cursory listen reveals that it's not that simple. Sometimes the voices on tape would anticipate him, sometimes they'd lag way behind, sometimes he was a unison chorus. — Kyle Gann
  • [I] to slacken or weaken gradually flag //… headachy brunches where the champagne punch tasted sour and conversation lagged. — John Updike //This music … didn't rush—at least not after a bracingly brisk overture—but never lagged, the textures as airy as a June morning on Coney Island. — Zachary Woolfe
  • [T/I] golf to hit (a golf ball or putt) with the aim of having the ball stop near the hole to hit a lag putt (see lag entry 1 sense 2) //Woods lagged his first putt to within four feet and then sank his second one to win. — Tim Crothers //My chip up onto the green was miserable. I left Bill a 40-foot putt. He lagged and left the ball three feet from the cup. — Giles Tippette
adjective

Definition (Entry 3 of 7)

noun (2)

Definition (Entry 4 of 7)

  • a barrel stave
  • a stave, slat, or strip (as of wood or asbestos) forming part of a covering for a cylindrical object
verb (2)
lagged; lag​ging

Definition (Entry 5 of 7)

verb (3)
lagged; lag​ging

Definition (Entry 6 of 7)

noun (3)

Definition (Entry 7 of 7)

  • chiefly British slang
    a person transported for crime
    convict
    an ex-convict
  • chiefly British slang a jail sentence stretch
Other Words
Verb (1)
  • lag​ger noun, plural lag​gers//“The men whom you would disturb are in front of you, and not, as you fancy, behind you; it is you who are the lagger, not they.” — Samuel Butler
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms: Verb (1)
decay droop emaciate fade fail flag go languish sag sink waste (away) weaken wilt wither
Synonyms: Adjective
bottommost closing concluding final hindmost last latest latter rearmost terminal terminating ultimate
Antonyms: Adjective
beginning earliest first foremost headmost inaugural initial leadoff maiden opening original pioneer primary starting
Examples
Verb (1)
  • //during the fourth quarter the whole team seemed to lag
  • //the tired puppy was lagging behind the rest of the pack
Adjective
  • //we're now in the lag end of the project
First Known Use
Noun (1)
circa 1530, in the meaning defined at sense 3
Verb (1)
1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Adjective
1552, in the meaning defined above
Noun (2)
1659, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb (2)
1887, in the meaning defined above
Verb (3)
circa 1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun (3)
circa 1812, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
History and Etymology
Noun (1)
probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian dialect lagga to go slowly
Noun (2)
probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse lǫgg rim of a barrel
Verb (3)
origin unknown
noun

Synonyms & Antonyms (Entry 3 of 3)