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haul (hôl)
Share:
v. hauled, haul·ing, hauls
v. tr.
1. To pull or drag forcibly: They hauled the boat onto the beach. We hauled the wood into the shed. See Synonyms at pull.
2. To transport, as with a truck or cart: The contractor used a truck to haul away the dirt and debris.
3.
a. To cause (oneself) to move, especially slowly or laboriously: I hauled myself down to the lobby.
b. To compel to go, especially for trial: hauled their competitor into court.
4. Nautical To change the course of (a ship), especially in order to sail closer into the wind.
v. intr.
1. To pull or drag something forcibly.
2. To provide transportation; cart.
3. To shift direction: The wind hauled to the east.
4. Nautical To change the course of a ship.
n.
1. The act of pulling or dragging.
2. The act of transporting or carting.
3. A distance, especially the distance over which something is pulled or transported: a long haul across the country.
4.
a. Something that is pulled or transported; a load.
b. Everything collected or acquired at a single time; the take: a big haul of fish.
Phrasal Verbs:
haul offInformal
1. To draw back slightly, as in preparation for initiating an action: “hauled off and smacked the hapless aide across the face” (Bill Barol).
2. To withdraw or move to another place.
haul out
To move from water onto the shore: a beach where seals often haul out; canoeists who hauled out on the riverbank to rest.
haul up
To come to a halt.
Idiom:
haul assVulgar Slang
To move quickly: We'll be late if you don't haul ass.

[Middle English haulen, from Old French haler, of Germanic origin; see kelə-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

hauler n.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.