Meaning & use
tow bar
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountableBritish
A strong metal fitting attached to the back of a vehicle so that a trailer or caravan can be connected to it.
Grammar: Fitted to a car: a car with a tow bar.
Patterns
- fit a tow bar
- a tow bar on something
We had a tow bar fitted so we could pull the caravan.
The car's tow bar was rated for one ton.
He bought a van with a tow bar for his boat trailer.
nouncountable
A rigid bar or frame used to connect one vehicle to another so that it can be pulled along after a breakdown.
Grammar: Used by recovery services: a tow bar between two cars.
Patterns
- use a tow bar
- attach a tow bar to something
The mechanic attached a tow bar to the broken-down car.
A short tow bar connected the little car to the camper van.
Using a tow bar needs two drivers working together.
Word forms
| plural | tow bars |
|---|
Common combinations
- fit a tow bar
- The garage can fit a tow bar in one afternoon.
- detachable tow bar
- A detachable tow bar keeps the rear of the car tidy.
- tow bar electrics
- The tow bar electrics power the trailer lights.
- remove the tow bar
- Remember to remove the tow bar before the car test.
Synonyms and how they differ
- trailer hitch
- Trailer hitch is the American equivalent and focuses on the coupling for trailers, not on towing a stopped car.
- tow hitch
- Tow hitch is a casual variant that stresses the connecting piece, while tow bar names the bar fixed to the vehicle.
- tow rope
- A tow rope or strap is flexible and used to pull a broken-down vehicle, whereas a tow bar is rigid.
Word family
Commonly confused: tow bar or toe bar?
tow bar vs toe bar
This is a misspelling; the word is tow, meaning to pull, not toe.
Practice
Why would someone fit a tow bar to a car?
Choose one answer.
A tow bar is a hitch fixed to the back of a vehicle for pulling things. The other options describe unrelated car features.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “tow bar”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.