peg
B1Neutral to informal (when used as a verb meaning to categorise).
Definition
Meaning
A short, usually cylindrical pin or bolt of wood, metal, or plastic, used to fasten things together, hang things on, mark a position, or adjust the tension of strings.
To fix, hold, or set something at a particular level, rate, or value; to categorise or identify someone in a specific way.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word is highly polysemous, shifting seamlessly between concrete object (noun) and abstract action (verb). The verb senses often imply fixing something in place, either physically or figuratively.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The primary lexical difference is 'clothes peg' (UK) vs. 'clothespin' (US). 'Peg' as a noun for a drink (e.g., 'a peg of whisky') is chiefly British. The verb 'to peg out' (to die/collapse) is more common in UK informal use.
Connotations
In UK English, 'peg' can informally refer to a person's leg ('a wooden peg leg'). In US finance/business contexts, 'to peg' (a currency, price) is highly standard.
Frequency
Slightly higher frequency in UK English due to the 'clothes peg' and drink-measure uses. The verb sense 'to peg someone as...' is equally common in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
peg something to something (e.g., peg the currency to the dollar)peg something at something (e.g., peg prices at 2020 levels)peg someone as something (e.g., pegged him as a troublemaker)peg something on/down/out (phrasal verbs)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “a square peg in a round hole”
- “off the peg (ready-to-wear)”
- “take/bring someone down a peg (or two)”
- “peg out (to die/collapse/exhaust, UK informal)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Common in economics/finance: 'The central bank pegged the interest rate.'
Academic
Used in statistics/sciences: 'The index was pegged to 100 for the baseline year.'
Everyday
Most common: hanging washing ('clothes peg'), securing a tent, hanging a coat.
Technical
In engineering/music: a component for adjustment or fastening (e.g., a tuning peg on a guitar).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- She pegged the washing on the line.
- They managed to peg back the opposition to a one-goal lead.
- I'd peg him at about fifty years old.
American English
- The government pegged the currency to the euro.
- Inflation was pegged at 2% for the quarter.
- He was quickly pegged as the new team leader.
adjective
British English
- She bought an off-the-peg suit for the interview.
- The old sailor had a distinctive peg-leg walk.
American English
- He assembled the furniture using a peg-board tool organizer.
- The dress was a standard off-the-rack (note: US prefers 'off-the-rack' over 'off-the-peg') design.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Please hand me a peg for the clothesline.
- The tent won't stay up without these pegs.
- He used a peg to fix the shelf to the wall.
- You've been so arrogant; someone needs to take you down a peg.
- The company's prices are pegged to the cost of raw materials.
- As a lifelong artist, he felt like a square peg in a round hole at the accounting firm.
- Analysts peg the company's losses in the last quarter at over £2 million.
- The currency was pegged to a basket of international reserves to ensure stability.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Picture a wooden PEG holding a wobbly table LEG together. PEG stabilises LEG.
Conceptual Metaphor
STABILITY IS BEING PEGGED (e.g., pegged currency); CATEGORISATION IS PEGGING (e.g., pegged him as a liar).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid using 'peg' for every type of 'pin' or 'bolt'. A 'колышек' is a 'peg', but a 'булавка' is a 'pin', and a 'болт' is a 'bolt'.
- The verb 'to peg' does not mean 'to stick' in the sense of glue. It implies pinning or fixing to a specific point.
- "Off the peg" (готовое платье) is an idiom; don't translate it literally.
- Confusion with the false friend 'пэг' (PEG) as an abbreviation in computing/chemistry (Polyethylene glycol).
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect preposition: 'peg something with something' instead of 'peg something TO something'.
- Using 'peg' as a synonym for 'hang' without the implied fixing/securing element: 'He pegged the picture on the wall' (sounds odd; 'put up' or 'hung' is better).
- Misspelling as 'pig' in writing.
Practice
Quiz
In a financial context, what does it mean to 'peg' a currency?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
A peg is typically thicker, sturdier, and often used for supporting weight or securing something (tent peg, clothes peg). A pin is thinner and sharper, often used for fastening fabrics or papers (safety pin, drawing pin).
Yes, in phrases like 'peg back' (to reduce a lead in sports) or 'take down a peg' (to humble someone). However, it doesn't generally mean 'reduce' on its own; it implies fixing at a lower level.
It describes a person or thing that is unsuitable for a particular situation, so it often has a negative or frustrated connotation, implying a poor fit.
It's informal and has multiple meanings: 1) to die or collapse from exhaustion, 2) in the game of cribbage, to score the winning point, 3) to mark out boundaries with pegs.
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