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log

Pronunciation: /lɒɡ/

The English word “log” has 20 meanings listed here.

noun

  1. The trunk of a dead tree, cleared of branches.
  2. Any bulky piece as cut from the above, used as timber, fuel etc.
  3. A unit of length equivalent to 16 feet, used for measuring timber, especially the trunk of a tree.
  4. Any cylinder; anything shaped like a tree log, particularly
  5. A rolled cake with filling.
  6. A solid and long piece of feces.
  7. The penis.
  8. A floating device, usually of wood, used in navigation to estimate the speed of a vessel through water.
  9. A blockhead; a very stupid person.
  10. A heavy longboard.
  11. A weight or block near the free end of a hoisting rope to prevent it from being drawn through the sheave.
  12. A logbook, or journal of a vessel's (or aircraft's) progress.
  13. A chronological record of actions, performances, computer/network usage, etc.
  14. Specifically, an append-only sequential record of events written to a file, display, or other data stream.

verb

  1. To cut trees into logs.
  2. To cut down (trees).
  3. To cut down trees in an area, harvesting and transporting the logs as wood.
  4. To make, to add an entry (or more) in a log or logbook.
  5. To travel (a distance) as shown in a logbook.
  6. To travel at a specified speed, as ascertained by a chip log.

Etymology

From Middle English logge, logg (first recorded in Anglo-Latin as loggum), of uncertain origin, but probably from Old Norse lóg, lág (“felled tree, log”), derived from Old Norse liggja (“to lie”). If so, then cognate with Norwegian låg (“fallen tree”), Dutch loog (“wood, timber, lumber”). Alternatively, directly from Norwegian låg (“fallen tree”), which could have been borrowed through the…

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Definitions are from Wiktionary, extracted by Kaikki.org, and are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.