rug

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A piece of thick woven fabric placed on part of a floor for warmth, comfort, or decoration.

   Grammar: Countable: a rug. It usually covers only part of a floor, unlike wall-to-wall carpet.

   Patterns

   • a rug on the floor
   • put down a rug
   • a rug under something

   A soft rug beside the bed makes the room feel warmer.

   She put down a rug to protect the wooden floor.

   The dog was asleep on the rug in front of the sofa.

2. 2nouncountableBritish

   A small blanket or wrap used for the legs or shoulders, especially when traveling.

   Grammar: Countable; often in compounds such as travel rug or lap rug.

   Patterns

   • travel rug
   • lap rug
   • wrap someone in a rug

   Grandmother kept a travel rug in the back of the car.

   He covered his knees with a wool lap rug.

3. 3nouncountableinformalhumorous

   A wig or hairpiece, used humorously or disparagingly.

   Grammar: Informal countable noun; avoid using it to describe a real person unless joking carefully.

   Patterns

   • wear a rug
   • a bad rug

   In the old comedy, the vain character wore an obvious rug.

   His rug slipped slightly during the windy scene.

Word forms

Common combinations

area rug

An area rug can define the sitting space in a large room.

Persian rug

The Persian rug had deep red and navy patterns.

pull the rug out from under someone

Canceling funding pulled the rug out from under the project.

sweep something under the rug

The company tried to sweep the safety failure under the rug.

Synonyms and how they differ

carpet

Usually covers a whole room or is fixed to the floor; a rug is smaller and movable.

mat

Often smaller and practical, placed at a door or under feet.

runner

A long narrow rug for a hallway or stairs.

Commonly confused: rug or carpet? rug or mat?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “rug”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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