peglike

noun

1. a pin of wood or other material driven or fitted into something, as to fasten parts together, to hang things on, to make fast a rope or string on, to stop a hole, or to mark some point.
2. Informal. a leg, either real or wooden: still on his pegs at 99.
3. a notch or degree: to come down a peg.
4. an occasion, basis, or reason: a peg to hang a grievance on.
5. Also called pin. Music. a pin of wood or metal in the neck of a stringed instrument that may be turned in its socket to adjust a string’s tension.
6. Informal. a throw, especially in baseball: The peg to the plate was late.
7. news peg.
8. Economics. the level at which some price, exchange rate, etc., is set.
9. British, Indian English. an alcoholic drink, especially a whiskey or brandy and soda.
10. British. clothespin.

verb (used with object), pegged, peg·ging.

11. to drive or insert a peg into.
12. to fasten with or as with pegs.
13. to mark with pegs.
14. to strike or pierce with or as with a peg.
15. to keep (the commodity price, exchange rate, etc.) at a set level, as by manipulation or law.
16. Informal. to throw (a ball).
17. Journalism. to base (an article, feature story, etc.) upon; justify by (usually followed by on): The feature on the chief of police was pegged on the riots.
18. Informal. to identify: to peg someone as a good prospect.

verb (used without object), pegged, peg·ging.

19. to work or continue persistently or energetically: to peg away at a homework assignment.
20. Informal. to throw a ball.
21. Croquet. to strike a peg, as in completing a game.

adjective

22. Also pegged. tapered toward the bottom of the leg: peg trousers.

Idioms

23. take down a peg, to reduce the pride or arrogance of; humble: I guess that’ll take him down a peg!

noun

1. a small cylindrical pin or dowel, sometimes slightly tapered, used to join two parts together
2. a pin pushed or driven into a surface: used to mark scores, define limits, support coats, etc
3. music any of several pins passing through the head (peg box) of a stringed instrument, which can be turned so as to tune strings wound around themSee also pin (def. 11)
4. Also called: clothes peg British a split or hinged pin for fastening wet clothes to a line to dryUS and Canadian equivalent: clothespin
5. informal a person’s leg
6. Northern English dialect a tooth
7. British a small drink of wine or spirits, esp of brandy or whisky and soda
8. an opportunity or pretext for doing somethinga peg on which to hang a theory
9. a mountaineering piton
10. croquet a post that a player’s ball must strike to win the game
11. angling a fishing station allotted to an angler in a competition, marked by a peg in the ground
12. informal a level of self-esteem, importance, etc (esp in the phrases bring or take down a peg)
13. informal See peg leg
14. off the peg mainly British (of clothes) ready to wear, as opposed to tailor-made

verb pegs, pegging or pegged

15. (tr) to knock or insert a peg into or pierce with a peg
16. (tr sometimes foll by down) to secure with pegsto peg a tent
17. mountaineering to insert or use pitons
18. (tr) to mark (a score) with pegs, as in some card games
19. (tr) informal to aim and throw (missiles) at a target
20. (intr; foll by away, along, etc) mainly British to work steadilyhe pegged away at his job for years
21. (tr) to stabilize (the price of a commodity, an exchange rate, etc) by legislation or market operations

n.mid-15c., from Middle Dutch pegge “peg,” a common Low German word (cf. Low German pigge “peg,” German Pegel “gauge rod, watermark,” Middle Dutch pegel “little knob used as a mark,” Dutch peil “gauge, watermark, standard”), of uncertain origin; perhaps from PIE *bak- “staff used as support” (see bacillus). To be a square peg in a round hole “be inappropriate for one’s situation” is attested from 1836; to take someone down a peg is from 1580s, but the original literal sense is uncertain (most of the likely candidates are not attested until centuries later). Peg leg “wooden leg” attested from 1765. v.“fasten with or as if on a peg,” 1590s, from peg (n.). Slang sense of “identify, classify” first recorded 1920. Related: Pegged; pegging. In addition to the idiom beginning with peg

peg away at

also see:

square peg in a round hole

take down a notch (peg)