1. Hang (back) or fall (behind) in movement, progress, development, etc.
   "He lagged behind the group on the hike";
   - dawdle, fall back, fall behind
    
2. Cover with lagging to prevent heat loss
   "lag pipes"
    
3. [N. Amer] (billiards/pool) determine who plays first by simultaneously shooting balls to the far rail and back, with the player whose ball stops closest to the head rail winning
   "They lagged for the break";
   - string
    
4. (law) lock up or confine, in or as in a jail
   "The authorities lagged the suspect";
   - imprison, incarcerate, immure, put behind bars, jail, jug [N. Amer, informal], gaol [Brit], put away, remand, prison [archaic]

1. The time between one event, process, or period and another
   "There's often a lag between policy changes and their economic effects";
   - interim, meantime, meanwhile
    
2. The act of slowing down or falling behind
   "The economic lag affected many industries";
   - slowdown, retardation
    
3. One of several thin slats of wood forming the sides of a barrel or bucket
   "A broken lag in the bucket caused it to leak";
   - stave

Derived forms: lagging, lags, lagged

See also: fall

Type of: confine, cover, delay, detain, follow, holdup, interval, slat, spline, time interval

Part of: barrel, cask

Encyclopedia: Lag