To pull or draw with sturdy effort or violent strain; haul with force; pull.To tow by means of a steam-tug: as, the vessel had to be tugged into port.To pull with great effort; haul; drag.To exert one's self; labor; strive; struggle; contend; wrestle.n. The act of pulling, dragging, or hauling with effort, exertion, or difficulty.n. A supreme effort; the severest strain or struggle; a contest; wrestle; tussle.n. A vehicle used in some parts of England for conveying timber or fagots.n. A small but powerful steam-vessel, whether screw or paddle, constructed for the purpose of towing other vessels.n. A chain, strong rope, or leather strap used as a trace; a trace (of a harness).n. In mining, an iron hoop to which a tackle is affixed.n. An athletic contest in which a number of persons, generally four on each side and limited to a certain weight, tug at the ends of a rope, each side trying to pull the rope from the other, or to pull the other side over a line marked on the ground between the contestants. Also called ropepull.