lagging

¹

[lag-ing]

noun

1. the act of falling or staying behind.

adjective

1. lingering; loitering; slow and dragging.

   lagging steps.

lagging

²

[lag-ing]

noun

1. the act of covering a boiler, oil tank, etc., with heat-insulating material.

2. the covering formed.

3. the material used.

4. a number of boards or the like joined together side by side to line an excavation.

5. Masonry.,  a number of lags, taken as a whole.

lagging

/ ˈlæɡɪŋ /

noun

1. insulating material wrapped around pipes, boilers, etc, or laid in a roof loft, to prevent loss of heat

2. the act or process of applying lagging

3. a wooden frame used to support an arch during construction

Other Word Forms

• laggingly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of lagging¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; lag ¹ + -ing ¹, -ing ² ( def. )

Origin of lagging²

First recorded in 1850–55; lag ³ + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

He isn’t the first president to blame unfair trade relationships for America’s lagging car exports.

From Los Angeles Times

She welcomed the "overdue" changes, saying that the statutory guidance "is now five years old" and "lagging behind life experiences of young people".

From BBC

On another, if a team are lagging behind competitively under the current rules, there is at least a reasonable possibility they will continue to do so under the next ones.

From BBC

The U.S. life expectancy, already lagging behind many peer nations, could further stagnate or decline.

From Salon

It also says that Scotland is lagging behind England in terms of the ratio of speech and language therapists to children.

From BBC

Related Words

• underdeveloped