log

A log is a section of a tree that has been cut down. Before the tree is processed in any way, or before it becomes lumber, it remains a log.

A lumberjack is a person who cuts down trees which become logs.
Logs are stacked in a pile and later used for building homes, for making paper, and for creating an assortment of wood products.
A log cabin is a simple house made of logs. Abraham Lincoln grew up in a log cabin.
When logs are dry, they are used for making fires. Put another log on the fire.

There are a few expressions that use the word "log."

a bump on a log: a person who doesn’t do anything.

• Don’t just sit there like a bump on a log. Do something to help!!
• My dog just sits like a bump on a log whenever a stranger walks past our house.

sleep like a log = to sleep well

• Tom said he slept like a log last night.
• You’ll sleep like a log after a long day of physical labor.
• I slept like a log last night.

There are some other ways to use the word "log." A log can also be a form of recorded information.

• The captain of a ship keeps a log that tracks the ship’s movement from one place to another.
• Captain Kirk regularly updated the log for the S.S. Enterprise.
• A blog is a type of log kept by a webmaster or a company to inform website visitors of updates to the website or to provide news and information. (The word "blog" is a combination of two words: web + log.)
• An electronic log can show where visitors to a website are from and how long they remained on the website.
• I check the log for the chat room on this website regularly.
• A person who visits a website and provides a username and password is logging into the website.
• Login to your account.*

Note: There are variations for log + in: Log in to your account. Login to your account. Log into your account. Which one is correct? I don’t know.

Learn more vocabulary here.

March 10, 2018