peg
gb/pˈɛɡ/ us/pˈɛɡ/
A2
English
~ 9300
pecek, cövek, ruhacsipesz, rögzít, felcsipeszel, lecövekel, vmihez köt, becsül, tippel, rögzített szint, rögzített árfolyam, árstop, hangolókulcs, hangolócsap, feles, adag, kupica
NOUN
A2
1
Usage pattern:
a peg for hanging [something]
She hammered the tent pegs into the ground before nightfall.
Sötétedés előtt beverte a sátorcövekeket a földbe.
Use a clothes peg so the towel doesn’t blow off the line.
Használj ruhacsipeszt, hogy a törölközőt ne fújja le a szél a kötélről.
The shelves are supported by small metal pegs in the holes of the bookcase.
He hung his coat on a wooden peg by the door.
Learner examples
She put the wet shirts on the line with pegs.
A vizes ingeket csipeszekkel tette ki a szárítókötélre.
He pushed the tent pegs into the ground.
Belenyomta a sátorcövekeket a földbe.
My bag hangs from a peg on the wall.
The board has many small pegs in it.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse a 'peg' with a 'nail' or 'screw'. A peg usually does not have a sharp metal point that you drive into hard material with tools; it is more like a simple pin, stake, or clip, often used with cloth or soft ground.
Meaning
small pin or clip fastener
Collocations
tent peg
|clothes peg
|wooden peg
|metal peg
|peg in the ground
|peg on the wall
Synonyms
fastener (More general; can be any device that joins or holds things together, not just a small pin or clip.)
Themes
daily life
|home
|outdoors
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A small piece of wood, plastic, or metal that you use to fix or hang something so it does not move or fall.
A small piece of wood, plastic, or metal used to fasten, support, or hang something in place.
VERB
B1
2
Usage pattern:
to peg [something] [somewhere]
We pegged the tent firmly to the ground before the storm arrived.
Még a vihar érkezése előtt erősen lecövekeltük a sátrat.
She pegged the wet clothes out on the line as soon as the rain stopped.
Amint elállt az eső, felcsipeszelte a vizes ruhákat a kötélre.
Make sure you peg the banner to the fence so it doesn’t flap away.
They pegged the corners of the groundsheet so it would not move.
Learner examples
He pegged the T-shirt to the line.
Felcsipeszelte a pólót a kötélre.
They pegged the tent to the ground.
Lecövekelték a sátrat a földhöz.
Please peg this towel outside to dry.
We pegged the blanket so the wind could not lift it.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *'peg up the clothes'* instead of 'peg the clothes out' or simply 'peg the clothes'. In many varieties of English people also say 'hang the clothes out', which is more common in some regions.
Meaning
fasten using pegs
Collocations
peg the tent
|peg the washing out
|peg it to the line
|peg the corners down
Synonyms
pin (Very similar when talking about attaching something lightly, but 'pin' is more general and not always done with actual pegs.)
Antonyms
unfasten (Means to undo what fastening or pegging has done, so that the thing is no longer held in place.)
Themes
daily life
|outdoors
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To fix or hang something using pegs so it stays in place.
To fasten, secure, or hang something in position by using pegs.
VERB
B2
TECHNICAL
3
rögzít
B2
vmihez köt
B2
Usage pattern:
to peg [price/value/rate] at [amount]
The central bank decided to peg the local currency to the US dollar.
A jegybank úgy döntött, hogy a helyi valuta árfolyamát az amerikai dollárhoz köti.
Interest rates have been pegged at 3% for the next year.
A kamatlábakat a következő évre 3%-on rögzítették.
The government plans to peg fuel prices to the international market.
Under the new agreement, their salaries are pegged to inflation.
Learner examples
The bank pegged the exchange rate at a low level.
A bank alacsony szinten rögzítette az árfolyamot.
Gas prices were pegged at a fixed price last year.
Tavaly rögzített szinten tartották a benzin árát.
Their pay is pegged to the cost of living.
The company pegged the share price during the sale.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with simply 'guessing' a price. In this sense, 'peg' means to set and hold the price or value, often by rule or policy, not to estimate it. Use 'peg at' for fixing, and 'peg at' for estimating, but the context (official decision vs. opinion) changes the meaning.
Meaning
fix a price or value
Collocations
peg the currency to
|pegged at 5 percent
|peg wages to inflation
|peg prices at a maximum
Synonyms
fix (Very close in meaning; 'fix' is more general, while 'peg' often suggests a policy that holds the level steady over time.)
Antonyms
float (In economics, letting a price or currency 'float' means allowing its value to move freely, the opposite of pegging it.)
Themes
economics
|business
|politics
|finance
Definition
To set a price, value, or rate at a chosen level and keep it there, often by a government or company.
To fix a price, value, or rate at a particular level and keep it there, especially by government or official action.
VERB
B2
4
Usage pattern:
to peg [something] at [amount/level]
Analysts peg the total cost of the project at around $2 million.
Az elemzők a projekt teljes költségét körülbelül 2 millió dollárra becsülik.
I’d peg his age at about forty, maybe a little older.
Én olyan negyvenévesnek tippelném, talán egy kicsit idősebbnek.
Insurance companies peg the damage from the storm at over $10 billion.
Most reviews peg the movie’s running time at just under three hours.
Learner examples
Experts peg the loss at one million dollars.
A szakértők egymillió dollárra becsülik a veszteséget.
I would peg the travel time at two hours.
Az utazási időt két órára becsülném.
They peg his age at about thirty.
The report pegs house prices at a very high level.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think 'peg' always means to fix something at a level. In this sense, it does not mean to control or set the value, only to give a rough guess. Also, do not say *'peg about $10'*; use 'peg it at about $10'.
Meaning
roughly estimate a value
Collocations
peg the cost at
|pegged his age at
|analysts peg profits at
|experts peg the damage at
Synonyms
estimate (Direct equivalent in most contexts; 'peg' often sounds slightly more informal or journalistic.)
Antonyms
measure (To measure is to find an exact amount, while to peg something is to give a rough or approximate value.)
Themes
business
|daily life
|finance
Definition
To guess or judge how much something is, usually giving a number or level.
To estimate or judge the amount, value, or level of something, especially by giving a rough figure.
NOUN
C1
TECHNICAL
5
Usage pattern:
a peg for [price/value/rate]
The country abandoned its currency peg to the US dollar.
Az ország feladta valutájának amerikai dollárhoz kötött árfolyamát.
Unions criticized the proposed wage peg as too low.
A szakszervezetek túl alacsonynak bírálták a javasolt rögzített bérszintet.
Removing the peg allowed the exchange rate to move freely.
The oil price peg was introduced to stabilize government revenue.
Learner examples
The government kept a peg on food prices.
A kormány rögzített szinten tartotta az élelmiszerárakat.
They ended the currency peg last year.
Tavaly megszüntették a rögzített árfolyamrendszert.
Without a peg, the exchange rate can change a lot.
The wage peg helped control company costs.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse the noun 'peg' (a fixed level or system) with the verb 'to peg' (to fix something). As a noun, it often appears in phrases like 'currency peg' or 'wage peg', not usually alone.
Meaning
fixed reference level or limit
Collocations
currency peg
|wage peg
|peg to the dollar
|remove the peg
Synonyms
cap (Often used when the peg limits a price or rate from going higher; 'peg' is more neutral about direction.)
Antonyms
float (A 'float' is the absence of a fixed level, letting values move freely without a peg.)
Themes
economics
|business
|finance
Definition
A set level for a price, value, or rate that is kept there by a rule or policy and used as a point of reference.
A fixed level at which a price, value, or rate is kept, especially by government or official policy, and which serves as a reference point.
NOUN
B2
6
hangolókulcs
B2
hangolócsap
C1
Usage pattern:
a peg on [instrument]
He turned the tuning peg until the string sounded in tune.
Addig tekerte a hangolókulcsot, amíg a húr tisztán nem szólt.
One of the violin pegs slipped, and the string went loose.
A hegedű egyik hangolókulcsa megcsúszott, és a húr meglazult.
The guitar’s pegs are quite stiff and hard to turn.
She carefully adjusted each peg before the performance.
Learner examples
He turned the peg to tune the guitar.
Megtekerte a hangolókulcsot, hogy behangolja a gitárt.
The violin peg is broken, so the string is loose.
Eltört a hegedű hangolókulcsa, ezért laza a húr.
She checks all the pegs before she plays.
If a peg slips, the note will be wrong.
Common mistake:
Learners may call this part a 'button' or 'screw'. On string instruments, the correct word is 'peg' or 'tuning peg'.
Meaning
tuning knob on instrument
Collocations
tuning peg
|violin peg
|guitar peg
|peg slips
|turn the peg
Synonyms
tuning peg (More specific; always refers to this part of a musical instrument.)
Themes
music
|arts
|arts_entertainment
Definition
A small part on a guitar, violin, or similar instrument that you turn to make a string tighter or looser so it plays the right note.
A small turning knob on a stringed instrument that tightens or loosens the strings to tune them.
NOUN
C1
INFORMAL
7
Usage pattern:
a peg of [alcohol]
He poured himself a peg of whisky after dinner.
Vacsora után töltött magának egy feles whiskyt.
The doctor advised him to cut down to one peg a day.
Az orvos azt tanácsolta neki, hogy az ivást fogja vissza napi egy felesre.
They ordered a couple of pegs at the hotel bar before going to bed.
Learner examples
He drinks one peg of whisky every night.
Minden este megiszik egy feles whiskyt.
She ordered a small peg at the bar.
Rendelt egy kis adag töményt a bárban.
The waiter brought three pegs of rum to the table.
He poured a peg for his friend.
Common mistake:
Learners outside South Asia may not recognize this use and might incorrectly think 'peg' always means a physical object like a pin or clip. In many countries, 'shot' or 'drink' is used instead.
Meaning
measure of strong drink
Collocations
a peg of whisky
|a large peg
|a small peg
|pour a peg
Synonyms
shot (Very close in meaning; 'shot' is more common in global English, while 'peg' is especially common in South Asian English.)
Themes
food
|social life
|food_drink
Definition
An amount of strong alcohol, like whisky, that you drink at one time, especially in Indian English.
A measured serving of strong alcoholic drink, especially whisky, typically used in South Asian English.
Grammar
Dictionary form
peg
IPA
GB/pˈɛɡ/
US/pˈɛɡ/
Syllables & stress
peg (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (peg)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: peg
- Plural: pegs
Verb
- Base: peg
- 3rd Person Singular: pegs
- Present Participle: pegging
- Past: pegged
Word family
Forms
pegs
noun
pegging
verb
pegged
verb
Related words
pegboard
noun
Highlights
- Irregular present participle: pegging Verb
- Irregular past: pegged Verb
Expressions
a peg to hang something on
1/ə pˈɛɡ tə hˈæŋ sˈʌmθɪŋ ˈɔn/
idiom
starting point or excuse for discussion
A reason or starting point that you use to begin or support a discussion, story, or activity.
Examples
- The anniversary gave journalists a peg to hang their stories on.
- We used the new report as a peg to hang the meeting on.
off the peg
1/ˈɔf ðə pˈɛɡ/
idiom
ready-made, not custom-made (clothes)
Describes clothes that you buy already made in standard sizes, not made specially to fit one person.
Examples
- Most people buy their suits off the peg these days.
- She prefers designer dresses to anything off the peg.
peg away
1/pˈɛɡ əwˈeɪ/
phrasal verb
informal
keep working hard at something
To keep working hard at something for a long time, especially when progress is slow.
Examples
- She just kept pegging away at her studies until she finally passed the exam.
- If we peg away at this project, we should finish by Friday.
peg back
1/pˈɛɡ bˈæk/
phrasal verb
reduce or limit something
To reduce or control how much something increases, or to reduce someone’s lead or advantage.
Examples
- The team pegged back their rivals with a late goal.
- The government is trying to peg back inflation with higher interest rates.
peg down
1/pˈɛɡ dˈaʊn/
phrasal verb
fasten to the ground with pegs
To fix something, such as a tent or sheet, to the ground with pegs so that it stays in place.
Examples
- We pegged the corners of the tent down before the wind picked up.
- Make sure you peg the groundsheet down properly or it will blow away.
peg out
1/pˈɛɡ ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
informal
die, especially suddenly
To die, especially suddenly; used informally and sometimes jokingly.
Examples
- The old car finally pegged out on the motorway.
- He joked that he hoped to travel more before he pegged out.
peg out
2/pˈɛɡ ˈaʊt/
phrasal verb
hang clothes on a line with pegs
To hang wet clothes outside on a line using pegs so they can dry.
Examples
- As soon as the rain stopped, she went out to peg out the washing.
- I’ll peg the clothes out before we leave for work.
square peg in a round hole
1/skwˈɛɹ pˈɛɡ ˈɪn ə ɹˈaʊnd hˈoʊl/
idiom
person who does not fit situation
A person who is in a job, group, or situation where they do not fit or feel right.
Examples
- He was a square peg in a round hole in that corporate job.
- Putting her in sales was like putting a square peg in a round hole.
take someone down a peg
1/tˈeɪk sˈʌmwˌʌn dˈaʊn ə pˈɛɡ/
idiom
informal
make someone less proud
To make someone less proud or less sure they are important, often by criticizing or defeating them.
Examples
- The defeat really took the team down a peg or two.
- She’s so arrogant that someone needs to take her down a peg.