Peg is a word with several meanings. It can refer to a woodenmade of wood pin, a leg in informal speech, a fasteningthe act of attaching or securing something action, or other more specializedused for a particular purpose or field uses such as a boat fitting or an instrument tuner.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-15. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /pɛɡ/
Easy pronunciation: PEG (approximate spelling).
Stress: One syllable; the whole word is stressed.
Use this for the noun meaning a small wooden pin used to hold something in place.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-15. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Peg Meaning
a small wooden pin used to hold something in place
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a wooden pin pushed or driven into a surface
Example: Use a peg to secure the rope to the ground.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- nog — A direct synonym for the wooden-pin sense.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-15. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Peg
Meaning 2
a fitting on a boat that holds the oar in place
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a holder attached to the gunwale of a boat that holds the oar in place and acts as a fulcrum for rowing
Example: The rower rested the oar in the peg before starting.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- oarlock — Standard synonym for this boat fitting.
- rowlock — Standard synonym for the oar-holding fitting.
- thole — Can refer to this kind of rowing support in some usage.
- tholepin — A narrower term used for the same rowing part.
Meaning 3
a small marker or marker pin
Part of speech: noun
Definition: small markers inserted into a surface to mark scores or define locations etc.
Example: He moved the peg to mark the next point on the board.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- pin — Works as a general substitute, though it is broader than peg.
Meaning 4
an artificial leg
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a prosthesis that replaces a missing leg
Example: After the accident, he walked with a peg.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- pegleg — Direct term for this kind of prosthetic leg.
- wooden leg — A clear synonym for this older sense.
Meaning 5
a leg
Part of speech: noun
Definition: informal terms for the leg
Example: He rested his peg after the long walk.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- pin — Informal slang for a leg in some usage.
- stick — Slangy, but less precise and less common as a direct substitute.
Meaning 6
to get a job or position
Part of speech: verb
Definition: succeed in obtaining a position
Example: She managed to peg the internship she wanted.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- nail — Can work in the sense of successfully securing something.
- nail down — A close fit for successfully securing a position.
Meaning 7
to fasten something with pegs
Part of speech: verb
Definition: fasten or secure with a wooden pin
Example: They pegged the tent securely before the storm.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- peg down — Direct phrase for fastening with pegs.
Meaning 8
a tuning peg on a stringed instrument
Part of speech: noun
Definition: regulator that can be turned to regulate the pitch of the strings of a stringed instrument
Example: She turned the peg to tighten the violin string.
Meaning 9
to keep a price or exchange rate fixed
Part of speech: verb
Definition: stabilize (the price of a commodity or an exchange rate) by legislation or market operations
Example: The government pegged the currency to the US dollar.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: inaccurate — correction needed. Checked: 2026-10-15. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Peg Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- nog
boat fitting that holds an oar in place
- oarlock
- rowlock
- thole
- tholepin
marker or score peg
- pin
prosthetic or informal leg
- pegleg
- wooden leg
- pin
- stick
to obtain a position
- nail
- nail down
to fasten with pegs
- peg down
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: inaccurate — correction needed. Checked: 2026-10-15. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Do not confuse peg as a wooden pin with peg as an informal word for a leg.
- Do not use oarlock or rowlock for the general wooden-pin sense.
- Do not use peg down for the noun sense of peg.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-15. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main meaning of peg?
The most common everyday meaning is a small wooden pin used to fasten or support something.
Is peg always a noun?
No. Peg is also a verb, as in to peg something down or to peg a currency to another value.
What is a synonym for peg?
For the main noun sense, a close synonym is nog. Other senses have different synonyms, such as oarlock for the boat fitting and peg down for the verb meaning to fasten with pegs.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-15. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.