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# lag

verb (lag, lags, lagged, lagging); noun (a lag, lags; jet lag, time lag; an old lag)

«lag» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. To lag, or lag behind, means to move or develop more slowly than others, so you fall behind. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lag/#m1)
2. A lag, or time lag, is a delay between one thing happening and another. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lag/#m2)
3. (gaming, computers, informal) Lag is a delay in a game or video call, when the screen freezes or jumps because the internet is slow. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lag/#m3)
4. Jet lag is feeling tired and muddled after flying across many time zones. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lag/#m4)
5. To lag pipes or a hot-water tank means to wrap them in material to keep the heat in. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lag/#m5)
6. (UK, slang) An old lag is a person who has been in prison many times. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lag/#m6)

### In the lessons

In PE and stories, someone lags behind on a walk or race. In gaming, «it's lagging» is a common complaint. In science, there is a lag between seeing lightning and hearing thunder because light is faster than sound; in maths, you can use that lag to work out how far away the storm is (about 3 seconds per kilometre). Lagging pipes stops them freezing in winter. Phrases: «lag behind», «jet lag», «time lag», «lag spike».

### Examples

- Hurry up, don't lag behind! [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lag/#x1)
- The game kept lagging, so I lost the level. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lag/#x2)
- We had terrible jet lag after flying to Australia. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lag/#x3)
- There is a lag between the lightning flash and the thunder. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lag/#x4)
- Dad lagged the pipes in the loft so they wouldn't freeze. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lag/#x5)
- Our class is lagging behind with the project, so we need to work faster. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lag/#x6)
- The video call had a two-second lag. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lag/#x7)
- "Yes, Fred," said she, and soon made herself ready; but, her husband being a good walker, she lagged behind. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lag/#x8)

### Note

Verb doubles the g: lagged, lagging. «Lag» as an internet delay is informal but very common. Trap: «laggy» (informal) means slow and jerky; «lagging» can also be the noun for pipe insulation.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «lag» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lag/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«lag» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/lag.html) on Mova free.