Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web

haul

 - 5 dictionary results

haul

[hawl]
–verb (used with object)
1. to pull or draw with force; move by drawing; drag: They hauled the boat up onto the beach.
2. to cart or transport; carry: He hauled freight.
3. to cause to descend; lower (often fol. by down): to haul down the flag.
4. to arrest or bring before a magistrate or other authority (often fol. by before, in, to, into, etc.): He was hauled before the judge.
–verb (used without object)
5. to pull or tug.
6. to go or come to a place, esp. with effort: After roistering about the streets, they finally hauled into the tavern.
7. to do carting or transport, or move freight commercially.
8. Nautical.
a. to sail, as in a particular direction.
b. to draw or pull a vessel up on land, as for repairs or storage.
c. (of the wind) to shift to a direction closer to the heading of a vessel (opposed to veer ).
d. (of the wind) to change direction, shift, or veer (often fol. by round or to).
–noun
9. an act or instance of hauling; a strong pull or tug.
10. something that is hauled.
11. the load hauled at one time; quantity carried or transported.
12. the distance or route over which anything is hauled.
13. Fishing.
a. the quantity of fish taken at one draft of the net.
b. the draft of a fishing net.
c. the place where a seine is hauled.
14. the act of taking or acquiring something.
15. something that is taken or acquired: The thieves' haul included several valuable paintings.
16. haul off,
a. Nautical. to change a ship's course so as to get farther off from an object.
b. to withdraw; leave.
c. Informal. to draw back the arm in order to strike; prepare to deal a blow: He hauled off and struck the insolent lieutenant a blow to the chin.
17. haul up,
a. to bring before a superior for judgment or reprimand; call to account.
b. to come to a halt; stop.
c. Nautical. to change the course of (a sailing vessel) so as to sail closer to the wind.
d. Nautical. (of a sailing vessel) to come closer to the wind.
e. Nautical. (of a vessel) to come to a halt.
18. haul around, Nautical.
a. to brace (certain yards of a sailing vessel).
b. (of the wind) to change in a clockwise direction.
19. haul in with, Nautical. to approach.
20. haul or shag ass, Slang: Vulgar. to get a move on; hurry.
21. long haul,
a. a relatively great period of time: In the long haul, he'll regret having been a school dropout.
b. a relatively great distance: It's a long haul from Maine to Texas.
c. Nautical. the drawing up on shore of a vessel for a relatively long period of time, as for winter storage or longer.
22. short haul,
a. a relatively small period of time: For the short haul, he'll be able to get by on what he earns.
b. a relatively little distance: The axle wouldn't break for just a short haul.
c. Nautical. the drawing up on shore of a vessel for a relatively short period, as for repairs or painting.

Origin:
1550–60; earlier hall, var. of hale 2


1. See draw.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To haul
haul   (hôl)   
v.   hauled, haul·ing, hauls

v.   tr.
  1. To pull or drag forcibly; tug. See Synonyms at pull.

  2. To transport, as with a truck or cart.

  3. Informal To compel to go, especially for trial: "hauled the huge companies into court" (Peter Matthiessen).

  4. Nautical To change the course of (a ship), especially in order to sail closer into the wind.

v.   intr.
  1. To pull; tug.

  2. To provide transportation; cart.

    1. To shift direction: The wind hauled to the east.

    2. To change one's mind.

  3. 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.

  4. Something that is pulled or transported; a load.

  5. Everything collected or acquired by a single effort; the take: a big haul of fish.

  6. To draw back slightly, as in preparation for initiating an action: "hauled off and smacked the hapless aide across the face" (Bill Barol).

  7. To shift operations to a new place; to move away.

Phrasal Verb(s):
haul off Informal
  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 shift operations to a new place; to move away.

haul upTo come to a halt.

Idiom(s):
haul ass Vulgar 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 Indo-European roots.]
haul'er n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Slang Dictionary
haul

  1. n.
    the proceeds from a theft; loot. (Underworld.) : The cops thought they must have got a pretty good haul.
  2. n.
    the proceeds from any activity: a performance, a fishing trip, a collection of goods or money for charity, etc. : They surveyed the haul of cans and packages and decided they had done a pretty fair job.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

haul 
1581, variant spelling of M.E. halen (see hale (v.)), representing a 13c. change in pronunciation. The noun is from the sense of hauling with fishing nets.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Idioms & Phrases

haul

In addition to the idioms beginning with haul, also see long haul; rake (haul) over the coals.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see haul on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us: