plug (plugs plural & 3rd person present) (plugging present participle) (plugged past tense & past participle )
1 n-count A plug on a piece of electrical equipment is a small plastic object with two or three metal pins which fit into the holes of an electric socket and connects the equipment to the electricity supply.
2 n-count A plug is an electric socket.
INFORMAL
3 n-count A plug is a thick, circular piece of rubber or plastic that you use to block the hole in a bath or sink when it is filled with water.
She put the plug in the sink and filled it with cold water.
4 n-count A plug is a small, round piece of wood, plastic, or wax which is used to block holes.
A plug had been inserted in the drill hole.
5 verb If you plug a hole, you block it with something.
Crews are working to plug a major oil leak. V n
6 verb If someone plugs a commercial product, especially a book or a film, they praise it in order to encourage people to buy it or see it because they have an interest in it doing well.
(=promote)
We did not want people on the show who are purely interested in plugging a book or film. V n
Plug is also a noun., n-count
Let's do this show tonight and it'll be a great plug, a great promotion.
8 If someone in a position of power pulls the plug on a project or on someone's activities, they use their power to stop them continuing.
pull the plug phrase V inflects, usu PHR on n
The banks have the power to pull the plug on the project. plug in , plug into
1 phrasal verb If you plug a piece of electrical equipment into an electricity supply or if you plug it in, you push its plug into an electric socket so that it can work.
They plugged in their tape-recorders... V P n (not pron)
I filled the kettle while she was talking and plugged it in... V n P
He took the machine from its bag and plugged it into the wall socket... V n P n
2 phrasal verb If you plug one piece of electrical equipment into another or if you plug it in, you make it work by connecting the two.
They plugged their guitars into amplifiers... V n P n
He plugged in his guitar. V P n (not pron)
3 phrasal verb If one piece of electrical equipment plugs in or plugs into another piece of electrical equipment, it works by being connected by an electrical cord or lead to an electricity supply or to the other piece of equipment.
A CD-I deck looks like a video recorder and plugs into the home television and stereo system... V P n
They've found out where the other speaker plugs in. V P
4 phrasal verb If you plug something into a hole, you push it into the hole.
Her instructor plugged live bullets into the gun's chamber. V n P n plug into
1 phrasal verb If you plug into a computer system, you are able to use it or see the information stored on it.
It is possible to plug into remote databases to pick up information. V P n
plug-and-play
Plug-and-play is used to describe computer equipment, for example a printer, that is ready to use immediately when you connect it to a computer. (COMPUTING) adj ADJ n
... a plug-and-play USB camera.
plug-in (plug-ins plural )
1 adj A plug-in machine is a piece of electrical equipment that is operated by being connected to an electricity supply or to another piece of electrical equipment by means of a plug.
ADJ n
...a plug-in radio.
2 n-count A plug-in is something such as a piece of software that can be added to a computer system to give extra features or functions. (COMPUTING) oft N n
...a plug-in memory card.
spark plug (spark plugs plural )A spark plug is a device in the engine of a motor vehicle, which produces electric sparks to make the petrol burn. n-count
