log

Meanings

Noun

• The trunk of a dead tree, cleared of branches.
• Any bulky piece as cut from the above, used as timber, fuel etc.
• Anything shaped like a log; a cylinder.
• A floating device, usually of wood, used in navigation to estimate the speed of a vessel through water.
• A blockhead; a very stupid person.
• A heavy longboard.
• A rolled cake with filling.
• A weight or block near the free end of a hoisting rope to prevent it from being drawn through the sheave.
• A piece of feces.
• A penis.
• A logbook, or journal of a vessel (or aircraft)'s progress
• A chronological record of actions, performances, computer/network usage, etc.
• Specifically, an append-only sequence of records written to file.
• A Hebrew unit of liquid volume (about liter).
• Synonym of logarithm.
• A difference of one in the logarithm, usually in base 10; an order of magnitude.

Verb

• To cut trees into logs.
• To cut down (trees).
• To cut down trees in an area, harvesting and transporting the logs as wood.
• To make, to add an entry (or more) in a log or logbook.
• To travel (a distance) as shown in a logbook
• To travel at a specified speed, as ascertained by chip log.
• To move to and fro; to rock.

Related

Narrower meaning words

• chip log, taffrail log
• Swiss roll, Yule log

Origin

• From Middle English logge, logg (since 14th century, while its Anglo-Latin derivatives are attested since early 13th century), of Unknown origin.
• Ending on -g suggests Scandinavian origin, and it has been proposed: cf. Old Norse lóg, lág, which is from liggja, or its regular reflex Norwegian låg, which could have been borrowed through the Norwegian timber trade. However the Old Norse/Middle Norwegian vowel is long while Middle English vowel is short.
• From logbook, itself from log (above) + book, from a wooden float (chip log, or simply log) used to measure speed.
• From Hebrew לֹג.
• A clipping of logarithm.
• Category:English clippings