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3.24
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lagging noun [ ˈlaɡɪŋ ]

• material providing heat insulation for a water tank, pipes, etc.
Origin: mid 19th century: from lag2.

lag verb

• fail to keep up with another or others in movement or development.
• "they waited for Tim who was lagging behind"
Similar: fall behind, straggle, fall back, trail (behind), linger, dally, dawdle, hang back, delay, move slowly, loiter, drag one's feet, take one's time, not keep pace, idle, dither, saunter, bring up the rear, dilly-dally, shilly-shally, tarry,
Opposite: lead, keep up, hurry,
• another term for string (sense 6 of the verb).
Origin: early 16th century (as a noun in the sense ‘hindmost person in a game, race, etc.’, also ‘dregs’): related to the dialect adjective lag (perhaps from a fanciful distortion of last1, or of Scandinavian origin: compare with Norwegian dialect lagga ‘go slowly’).

lag verb

• enclose or cover (a boiler, pipes, etc.) with material that provides heat insulation.
• "all pipes and tanks in the attic should be lagged"
Origin: late 19th century: from earlier lag ‘piece of insulating cover’.

lag verb

• arrest or send to prison.
• "they were nearly lagged by the constables"
Origin: late 16th century (as a verb in the sense ‘carry off, steal’): of unknown origin. Current senses date from the 19th century.


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