unplugs
|un-plugs|
/ʌnˈplʌɡz/
(unplug)
disconnected or acoustic
Etymology
'unplug' is a modern English formation from the prefix 'un-' + 'plug'. 'un-' originates from Old English 'un-' meaning 'not' or 'reverse', and 'plug' comes from Middle English 'plugge' meaning 'stopper'.
'plug' appeared in Middle English as 'plugge' (a stopper); over time it became 'plug' in Modern English. The verb 'unplug' was formed by combining 'un-' with 'plug' to mean 'remove a plug,' and later extended to electric contexts in the late 19th to early 20th century.
Originally it meant 'to remove a stopper or bung'; with the advent of electrical appliances it came to mean specifically 'to remove an electrical plug' and more recently has broadened figuratively to mean 'disconnect oneself from devices or activity.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural form of the noun 'unplug' (rare): acts or instances of unplugging or moments when devices are disconnected.
The frequent unplugs during the storm disrupted the store's displays.
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Antonyms
Verb 1
third-person singular present form of 'unplug': to remove a plug from a socket or otherwise disconnect an electrical device; also used figuratively to mean to disconnect oneself (e.g., from devices or work).
She unplugs the charger before going to bed.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/02 16:09