haul: Meaning and Definition of
haul
Pronunciation: (hôl), [key]
— v.t.
- to pull or draw with force; move by drawing; drag: They hauled the boat up onto the beach.
- to cart or transport; carry: He hauled freight.
- to cause to descend; lower (often fol. by down): to haul down the flag.
- to arrest or bring before a magistrate or other authority (often fol. by before, in, to, into, etc.): He was hauled before the judge.
—v.i.
- to pull or tug.
- to go or come to a place, esp. with effort: After roistering about the streets, they finally hauled into the tavern.
- to do carting or transport, or move freight commercially.
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- to sail, as in a particular direction.
- to draw or pull a vessel up on land, as for repairs or storage.
- (of the wind) to shift to a direction closer to the heading of a vessel (opposed to veer).
- (of the wind) to change direction, shift, or veer (often fol. by round or to).
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- to brace (certain yards of a sailing vessel).
- (of the wind) to change in a clockwise direction.
- . to get a move on; hurry.
- to approach.
- He hauled off and struck the insolent lieutenant a blow to the chin.
- Naut.to change a ship's course so as to get farther off from an object.
- to withdraw; leave.
- Informal.to draw back the arm in order to strike; prepare to deal a blow:He hauled off and struck the insolent lieutenant a blow to the chin.
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- to bring before a superior for judgment or reprimand; call to account.
- to come to a halt; stop.
- Naut.to change the course of (a sailing vessel) so as to sail closer to the wind.
- Naut.(of a sailing vessel) to come closer to the wind.
- Naut.(of a vessel) to come to a halt.
—n.
- an act or instance of hauling; a strong pull or tug.
- something that is hauled.
- the load hauled at one time; quantity carried or transported.
- the distance or route over which anything is hauled.
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- the quantity of fish taken at one draft of the net.
- the draft of a fishing net.
- the place where a seine is hauled.
- the act of taking or acquiring something.
- something that is taken or acquired: The thieves' haul included several valuable paintings.
- In the long haul, he'll regret having been a school dropout.
- a relatively great period of time:In the long haul, he'll regret having been a school dropout.
- a relatively great distance:It's a long haul from Maine to Texas.
- Naut.the drawing up on shore of a vessel for a relatively long period of time, as for winter storage or longer.
- For the short haul, he'll be able to get by on what he earns.
- a relatively small period of time:For the short haul, he'll be able to get by on what he earns.
- a relatively little distance:The axle wouldn't break for just a short haul.
- Naut.the drawing up on shore of a vessel for a relatively short period, as for repairs or painting.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.