Also 6–7 lagg, 6–8 lagge. [See LAG sb.1 and a.]
1. intr. To fail to maintain the desired speed of progress; to slacken one’s pace, as from weakness or sloth; to fail to keep pace with others; to hang back, fall behind, remain in the rear. Often with behind adv. or const. after, behind preps.; also with on.
1530. Palsgr., 601/1. I lagge behynde my felowes, je trayne.… Why lagge you ever behynde on this facion?
1570. Levins, Manip., 10/23. To Lag, fatigare, fatiscere.
1607. Tourneur, Rev. Trag., II. E 1 b. To prison with the Villaine. Death shall not long lag after him.
1622. R. Hawkins, Voy. S. Sea (1847), 173. The admirall … began to lagge a sterne, and with him other two shippes.
1651. Davenant, Gondibert, III. III. xxvi. And lagg’d like Baggage Treasure in the Wars.
1667. Milton, P. L., X. 266. I shall not lag behinde, nor erre The way, thou leading.
1697. Dryden, Æneid, XII. 379. He lags and labours in his flight.
1711. Steele, Spect., No. 137, ¶ 4. His Master … wondered what made the lazy young Dog lag behind.
1748. Johnson, Van. Hum. Wishes, 313. Superfluous ‘lags’ the vet’ran on the stage.
1800. Wordsw., Brothers, 363. He, at length Through weariness,… lagged behind.
1801. Mar. Edgeworth, Knapsack (1832), 298. My poor fellows, how they lag!
1824. W. Irving, T. Trav., II. 107. Suffering them [his mules] to lag on at a snail’s pace. Ibid. (1837), Capt. Bonneville, II. 46. He grew silent and gloomy, and lagged behind the rest.
1857. Hughes, Tom Brown, II. iii. (1871), 260. When they had crossed three or four fields without a check, Arthur began to lag.
1897. Allbutt’s Syst. Med., IV. 492. If the sign is present, the upper eyelids lag, not closely following the movements of the eyeballs.
b. of immaterial things and fig.
1591. Shaks., 1 Hen. VI., III. iii. 34. Fortune, in fauor makes him lagge behinde.
a. 1661. Fuller, Worthies (1840), III. 498. And this our Gildas [the Fourth]; who laggeth last in the team of his name sakes.
1703. J. Savage, Lett. Antients, vi. 40. We lagg in the care of Things of no kin to us.
1713. Swift, Cadenus & Vanessa, 355. Ideas came into her mind So fast, his lessons lagg’d behind.
1762. Foote, Lyar, III. Wks. 1799, I. 322. Think how the tedious time has lagg’d along.
1775. Burke, Sp. Conc. Amer., Wks. III. 44. When we speak of the commerce with our colonies, fiction lags after truth.
1820. W. Irving, Sketch Bk., II. 94. The vocal parts generally lagging a little behind the instrumental.
1833. Ht. Martineau, Fr. Wines & Pol., vi. 84. Business lagged in every department of the administration.
1865. Carlyle, Fredk. Gt., XVII. ii. (1872), VII. 14. Military preparation does lag at a shameful rate.
1874. Green, Short Hist., vi. § 6. 332. The work lagged for five years in the hands of the bishops.
1892. Electrical Engineer, 16 Sept., 287/2. The maximum induction lags behind the maximum magnetising force.
2. trans. To cause to lag; to retard, to tire. Obs. exc. dial.
1570. [see 1].
1632. Heywood, 1st Pt. Iron Age, V. Wks. 1874, III. 338. The weight would lagge thee that art wont to flye.
1638. R. Brathwait, Psalm cli. 298. Thine Armours load, but laggs faint heart, for flight the more unfit.
1876. Whitby Gloss., Lagg’d, tired as with carrying a load.
† 3. trans. To drag after one.
1530. Palsgr., 601/1. He laggeth the dogge at his horse tayle: il trayne le chien a la queue de son cheual.
Hence † Lagged ppl. a., delayed, tardy.
1602. Marston, Antonio’s Rev., I. i. Wks. 1856, I. 75. O, I could eate Thy fumbling throat, for thy lagd censure.
