log

1 of 6

noun (1)

ˈlȯg How to pronounce log (audio)
ˈläg
often attributive
1
: a usually bulky piece or length of a cut or fallen tree
especially : a length of a tree trunk ready for sawing and over six feet (1.8 meters) long
2
: an apparatus for measuring the rate of a ship's motion through the water that consists of a block fastened to a line and run out from a reel
3
a
: the record of the rate of a ship's speed or of her daily progress
also : the full nautical record of a ship's voyage
b
: the full record of a flight by an aircraft
4
: a record of performance, events, or day-to-day activities

log

2 of 6

verb

logged; logging

transitive verb

1
a
: to cut (trees) for lumber
b
: to clear (land) of trees in lumbering
often used with off
2
: to make a note or record of : enter details of or about in a log
3
a
: to move (an indicated distance) or attain (an indicated speed) as noted in a log
b(1)
: to sail a ship or fly an airplane for (an indicated distance or period of time)
(2)
: to have (an indicated record) to one's credit : achieve

log

3 of 6

noun (2)

often attributive

log

4 of 6

abbreviation

logic

log-

5 of 6

combining form

variants or logo-
: word : thought : speech : discourse
logogram
logorrhea

-log

6 of 6

noun combining form

see -logue

Examples of log in a Sentence

Verb Thousands of trees have been logged in this area. The forest has been heavily logged. The company has been logging in this area for many years. Part of his job is to log all deliveries. Truck drivers log thousands of miles every week. She has only been flying for a few months, but she has already logged more than 80 hours. a pitcher who has logged more than a hundred victories
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The three young chimpanzees belong to the Eagle Clan, a thriving community built around a massive multi-story tower constructed out of tree branches and logs, where Noa’s father Koro (Neil Sandilands), known as Master of Birds, oversees the eagles that protect the apes and hunt for food. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 May 2024 The accident was reported about 7:50 p.m. with the incident listed as driving while intoxicated, according to a Fort Worth police call log. Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 May 2024 Don’t be tempted to fill up space with logs, branches, leaves, plastic bottles, gravel or anything else. Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 May 2024 These logs are integral to robust security frameworks, ensuring data remains both accessible for legitimate use and securely protected against illicit access. François Candelon, Fortune, 3 May 2024 In one find, a K-9 officer helped police find over a dozen fish buried in the sand and hidden behind logs and brush piles. Kerry Breen, CBS News, 3 May 2024 Both men are no longer in jail, according to online jail logs. Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 2 May 2024 Minutes later, medics were called to the scene, according to online police logs. Jen Guadarrama, The Indianapolis Star, 2 May 2024 For your records, keep a log of your conversations with creditors, law enforcement officials and other relevant parties. Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024
Verb
No Heat lineup logged more than 200 minutes together this regular season. Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 7 May 2024 Between 2022 and 2023, according to the new data, the nearly 100 groundwater basins and sub-basins tracked by the state logged 8.7 million acre-feet of total additional water. Ari Plachta, Sacramento Bee, 7 May 2024 Advertisement Last year, the agency logged 168 assaults, a slight increase from the previous year. Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2024 Besides The Tortured Poets Department, Swift logged 606 million for Midnights and 440.8 million for 1989 (Taylor’s Version) in their opening weeks. Eric Frankenberg, Billboard, 2 May 2024 Pitchbook, which tracks venture capital and private equity, has been logging investments in generative AI startups since 2021. Lauren Goode, WIRED, 2 May 2024 Wilmore, the mission’s commander, has completed two previous spaceflights, logging 178 days in space. Denise Chow, NBC News, 27 Apr. 2024 The Bears saw growth from a more comfortable Kyler Gordon at nickel and will hope to see similar second-year strides from Stevenson and Smith, who each logged key experience in 2023. Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 7 May 2024 The song is from her new album, The Tortured Poets Department, which logs a second week at No. 1 on the U.S.-based Billboard 200. Gary Trust, Billboard, 6 May 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'log.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English logge

Noun (2)

by shortening

Combining form

Greek, from logos — more at legend

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1699, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun (2)

1631, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of log was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near log

Cite this Entry

“Log.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/log. Accessed 16 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

log

1 of 3 noun
ˈlȯg How to pronounce log (audio)
ˈläg
1
: a large piece of a cut or fallen tree
especially : a long piece of a tree trunk trimmed and ready for sawing
2
: a device for measuring the speed of a ship
3
a
: the daily record of a ship's speed and progress
b
: the full record of a ship's voyage or of an aircraft's flight
4
: a record of performance, events, or day-to-day activities
a computer log

log

2 of 3 verb
logged; logging
1
: to cut trees for lumber or to clear land of trees in lumbering
2
: to put details of or about in a log
3
a
: to move a distance or reach a speed as noted in a log
b
: to sail a ship or fly an aircraft for an indicated distance or time
the pilot logged thousands of miles and hundreds of hours

log

3 of 3 noun

Legal Definition

log

noun

More from Merriam-Webster on log

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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