clog

Everyday

1. A clog is a heavy shoe with a thick wooden sole. tree →
2. (verb) To clog something is to block it so things cannot pass through: Hair clogged the drain. tree →
3. To clog up means to become blocked. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life drains and pipes clog with hair or grease, and roads clog with traffic. In science and health lessons fatty foods can clog arteries. In history and geography, clogs are traditional shoes in the Netherlands and parts of England. Phrases: clog up, clogged with.

Examples

• The sink is clogged with food. tree →
• Leaves clogged the gutter. tree →
• Traffic clogged the roads to the beach. tree →
• Dutch dancers wore wooden clogs. tree →
• Don't pour fat down the drain or it will clog. tree →
• My nose is all clogged up with a cold. tree →
• He slipped off his clogs and entered the cottage. tree →

Note

Regular verb: clogged, clogging (double g). Countable noun. «Clog» and «block» mean nearly the same; «clog» is about slowly filling up.