Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense lags, present participle lagging, past tense, past participle lagged
1. verb
If one thing or person lagsbehind another thing or person, their progress is slower than that of the other.
Britain still lags behind most of Europe in its provisions for women who want timeoff to have babies. [V + behind]
The restructuring of the pattern of consumption in Britain also lagged behind. [V + behind]
He now lags 10 points behind the champion. [V amount + behind]
They are lagging a point behind their rivals. [VERB amount]
Hague was lagging badly in the polls. [VERB]
2. countable noun
A time lag or a lag of a particular length of time is a period of time between one event and anotherrelated event.
There's a time lag between infection with HIV and developing AIDS. [+ between]
Price rises have matched rises in the money supply with a lag of two or three months. [+ of]
3. verb
If you lag the inside of a roof, a pipe, or a water tank, you cover it with a special material in order to prevent heat escaping from it or to prevent it from freezing.
[mainly British]
If you have to take the floorboards up, take the opportunity to lag any pipes atthe same time. [VERB noun]
Water tanks should be well lagged and the roof well insulated. [beVERB-ed]
4. See also lagging
More Synonyms of lag
lag in British English1
(læɡ)
verbWord forms: lags, lagging or lagged(intransitive)
1. (often foll by behind)
to hang (back) or fall (behind) in movement, progress, development, etc
2.
to fall away in strength or intensity
3.
to determine an order of play in certain games, as by rolling marbles towards a line or, in billiards, hitting cue balls up the table against the top cushion in an attempt to bring them back close to the headrail
noun
4.
the act or state of slowing down or falling behind
5.
the interval of time between two events, esp between an action and its effect
6.
an act of lagging in a game, such as billiards
Word origin
C16: of obscure origin
lag in British English2
(læɡ) slang
noun
1.
a convict or ex-convict (esp in the phrase old lag)
2.
a term of imprisonment
verbWord forms: lags, lagging or lagged
3. (transitive)
to arrest or put in prison
Word origin
C19: of unknown origin
lag in British English3
(læɡ)
verbWord forms: lags, lagging or lagged
1. (transitive)
to cover (a pipe, cylinder, etc) with lagging to prevent loss of heat
noun
2.
the insulating casing of a steam cylinder, boiler, etc; lagging
3.
a stave or lath
Word origin
C17: of Scandinavian origin; related to Swedish lagg stave
lag in American English1
(læg)
verb intransitiveWord forms: lagged or ˈlagging
1.
a.
to fall, move, or stay behind; loiter; linger
b.
to move or develop more slowly than expected, desired, etc.; be retarded in motion, development, etc.
2.
to become gradually less intense, strong, etc.; wane; flag
3.
to toss a marble toward a line marked on the ground to determine the order of play
4. Billiards
to strike the cue ball so that it rebounds from the far rail to stop as close as possible to the near rail or the string line: done to decide the order of play
noun
5.
a falling behind or being retarded in motion, development, etc.
6.
the amount of such falling behind; interval between two related events, processes,etc.
the lag of peak current behind peak voltage
7.
a lagging, as in billiards and marbles
8. Rare
one that lags, or is last
Word origin
? akin to obs. Dan lakke, to go slowly
lag in American English2
(læg)
noun
1.
a strip of insulating material used for covering boilers, cylinders, etc.
verb transitiveWord forms: lagged or ˈlagging
2.
to cover with insulating material
Word origin
prob. < Scand, as in Swed lagg, barrel stave < IE base *leu-, to cut off > L luere, to cleanse, purge
lag in American English3
(læg)
Chiefly British, Slang
verb transitiveWord forms: lagged or ˈlagging
1.
to imprison
2.
to arrest
noun
3.
a convict or ex-convict
: often old lag
4.
a term of imprisonment
lag in Electrical Engineering
(læg)
noun
(Electrical engineering: Electrical power, Motor or generator)
Lag is the delay between voltage signal and the corresponding current signal.
Motors generally cause a situation where there is a lag between the current and the voltage.
Server connections are often made up of many nodes, and the more nodes between youand the other person, the higher the possibility is of lags occurring.
Lag is the delay between voltage signal and the corresponding current signal.
Examples of 'lag' in a sentence
lag
So why are some places speeding ahead and others lagging behind?
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
He said other lags would take the mickey.
The Sun (2017)
Another shows three lags laughing as they gulp from a bottle of clear liquid.
The Sun (2016)
Again there is a time lag here.
Computing (2010)
In the international league table for broadband we are lagging behind.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The lag time can be months.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
BRITAIN is as productive as before the financial crash but still lags behind other major economies.
The Sun (2016)
But we still lag behind Slovenia and Estonia.
The Sun (2016)
Many were old lags in the boycott business.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
But both groups lag well behind the leaders.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
But you can drastically reduce the effects of jet lag with a handful of techniques.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The only concern when he came back was jet lag.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Check your loft and cavity wall insulation and make sure all your pipes are properly lagged.
The Sun (2008)
They also lag their mainstream peers over one and three years.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Our notions of nationality tend to lag behind the realities of a changing world.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
This is just another lag trying his luck on the compo lottery.
The Sun (2012)
Then you have a time lag before disputes come through.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Officials insisted it was not a soft move and lags would still feel punished.
The Sun (2013)
Let him appoint some old lag for one more payday until the syndrome has run its course.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The whole area of primary care was also lagging behind in research terms.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
Maybe other countries are lagging behind us in that respect.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Another old lag is to have his spell of porridge turned into a comedy series.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The other aspect of systems is that there may be a time lag between cause and effect.
O'Connor, Joseph & Seymour, John Training with N.L.P. (1994)
He was challenged over energy prices and new figures that show wages still lagging well behind inflation.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
And that applies as much to young offenders as to old lags.
The Sun (2013)
This was originally the equal in size to financial betting but has lagged well behind and was put up for sale.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
They claim short sentences are useless as there is not enough time to get lags back on the straight and narrow.
The Sun (2009)
As a result, supply has always lagged behind demand.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The 29-year-old lag was taken to hospital after telling guards he had swallowed it whole.
The Sun (2016)
Is it any wonder lags don't take prison seriously?
The Sun (2011)
A cylinder jacket or pipe lagging is relatively cheap but can save you a lot of pennies so you can stay warmer.
The Sun (2014)
In other languages
lag
British English: lag VERB
If one thing or person lags behind another thing or person, their progress is slower than that of the other.
American English: lag
Brazilian Portuguese: ficar para trás
Chinese: 落后
European Spanish: quedarse atrás
French: rester à la traîne
German: zurückbleiben
Italian: trascinarsi
Japanese: 遅れる
Korean: 뒤처지다
European Portuguese: ficar para trás
Latin American Spanish: quedarse atrás
British English: lag NOUN
A time lag or a lag of a particular length of time is a period of time between one event and another related event.
There's a time lag between infection with HIV and developing AIDS.