Plugged

Part of speech: adjective, verb

Pronunciation: /plʌɡd/

Definitions

1. Closed or stopped up to prevent flow or passage ; attached or connected to an electrical outlet or device to supply power
2. Filled or obstructed so nothing can pass through ; inserted a plug or connector into a socket to establish an electrical link
3. Sealed tightly to block entry or movement through an opening ; linked by a plug to enable operation or power supply

Etymology: "Plugged" is simply the past tense and past participle of "plug", so the story belongs to the noun it comes from. A plug was originally a peg or stopper, a solid object pushed into a hole to block it. The verb grew out of that idea: to plug a hole is to fill it with a peg, and "plugged" describes something stopped up so nothing can pass through. The noun traces to Dutch "plug", meaning peg or plug, which descends from Middle Dutch "plugge" and older Old Dutch forms. Its ultimate origin is uncertain. It may be related to the Proto-Germanic "plugjaz", though the word seems to have been limited to the northern continental West Germanic languages. Relatives include Low German "Plüg", Norwegian "plug" (peg or wedge), and German "Pflock" (peg), which suggests a shared image of a wooden or metal stopper driven into an opening. The electrical sense is a later application of the same physical idea: a plug is pushed into a socket to complete a connection, and "plugged in" describes something joined that way.

Synonyms: blocked, stopped, clogged, obstructed, sealed

Antonyms: unplugged, cleared, opened, unblocked, unclogged