What does "vug" mean?
A small to medium-sized cavity inside rock that may be formed through a variety of processes.
Vug
/vʌɡ/ noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A small to medium-sized cavity inside rock that may be formed through a variety of processes.
- Grammar: vug is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: alveolus, basin, bowl, cavity.
- Usage evidence: 1944 United States. Bureau of Mines • War Minerals Report 386. Google books The Bureau explored on both the Crystal Spar and Calcium groups. An adit was driven 128 feet on the Crystal Spar group to intersect vug 1, which showed in the outcrop of the vein. The adit penetrated the vug 57 feet below the outcrop and at this level found that it was filled with material that had rolled in from the surface and sloughed off the walls. Only a few small crystals were found in the mud above the adit level. A winze 20 feet deep was then sunk in this vug to explore it below the adit level to make sure no valuable crystals were overlooked, but only small noncommercial crystals were found. A station was cut 28 feet from the face of the adit and a crosscut was driven 39 feet northerly to intersect the vein west of the vug 1, but only small pockets of bony calcite were found. A 40-foot crosscut was then driven easterly to intersect the vein on the east side of the vug 1. After hitting the vein, this working was continued 74 feet in bony calcite to intersect vug 2 below Burch's and Cartwright's old workings. Upon encountering the vug, the drift was continued another 76 feet. It was necessary to spile through the vug, as it was filled with mud. A raise was driven 55 feet to the surface in this vug for ventilation, and it was completed just as the demand for optical calcite ceased. The underground drifts were left well timbered, and mining of this deposit could be started with very little preliminary work.
How to use "vug"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "vug" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "vug" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "vug" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "vug" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "vug" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "alveolus" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "vug", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A small to medium-sized cavity inside rock that may be formed through a variety of processes.
"1944 United States. Bureau of Mines • War Minerals Report 386. Google books The Bureau explored on both the Crystal Spar and Calcium groups. An adit was driven 128 feet on the Crystal Spar group to intersect vug 1, which showed in the outcrop of the vein. The adit penetrated the vug 57 feet below the outcrop and at this level found that it was filled with material that had rolled in from the surface and sloughed off the walls. Only a few small crystals were found in the mud above the adit level. A winze 20 feet deep was then sunk in this vug to explore it below the adit level to make sure no valuable crystals were overlooked, but only small noncommercial crystals were found. A station was cut 28 feet from the face of the adit and a crosscut was driven 39 feet northerly to intersect the vein west of the vug 1, but only small pockets of bony calcite were found. A 40-foot crosscut was then driven easterly to intersect the vein on the east side of the vug 1. After hitting the vein, this working was continued 74 feet in bony calcite to intersect vug 2 below Burch's and Cartwright's old workings. Upon encountering the vug, the drift was continued another 76 feet. It was necessary to spile through the vug, as it was filled with mud. A raise was driven 55 feet to the surface in this vug for ventilation, and it was completed just as the demand for optical calcite ceased. The underground drifts were left well timbered, and mining of this deposit could be started with very little preliminary work."
Example
"1944 United States. Bureau of Mines • War Minerals Report 386. Google books The Bureau explored on both the Crystal Spar and Calcium groups. An adit was driven 128 feet on the Crystal Spar group to intersect vug 1, which showed in the outcrop of the vein. The adit penetrated the vug 57 feet below the outcrop and at this level found that it was filled with material that had rolled in from the surface and sloughed off the walls. Only a few small crystals were found in the mud above the adit level. A winze 20 feet deep was then sunk in this vug to explore it below the adit level to make sure no valuable crystals were overlooked, but only small noncommercial crystals were found. A station was cut 28 feet from the face of the adit and a crosscut was driven 39 feet northerly to intersect the vein west of the vug 1, but only small pockets of bony calcite were found. A 40-foot crosscut was then driven easterly to intersect the vein on the east side of the vug 1. After hitting the vein, this working was continued 74 feet in bony calcite to intersect vug 2 below Burch's and Cartwright's old workings. Upon encountering the vug, the drift was continued another 76 feet. It was necessary to spile through the vug, as it was filled with mud. A raise was driven 55 feet to the surface in this vug for ventilation, and it was completed just as the demand for optical calcite ceased. The underground drifts were left well timbered, and mining of this deposit could be started with very little preliminary work."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "vug"?
Common synonyms include: alveolus, basin, bowl, cavity, concavity, crater.
How do you use "vug" in a sentence?
1944 United States. Bureau of Mines • War Minerals Report 386. Google books The Bureau explored on both the Crystal Spar and Calcium groups. An adit was driven 128 feet on the Crystal Spar group to intersect vug 1, which showed in the outcrop of the vein. The adit penetrated the vug 57 feet below the outcrop and at this level found that it was filled with material that had rolled in from the surface and sloughed off the walls. Only a few small crystals were found in the mud above the adit level. A winze 20 feet deep was then sunk in this vug to explore it below the adit level to make sure no valuable crystals were overlooked, but only small noncommercial crystals were found. A station was cut 28 feet from the face of the adit and a crosscut was driven 39 feet northerly to intersect the vein west of the vug 1, but only small pockets of bony calcite were found. A 40-foot crosscut was then driven easterly to intersect the vein on the east side of the vug 1. After hitting the vein, this working was continued 74 feet in bony calcite to intersect vug 2 below Burch's and Cartwright's old workings. Upon encountering the vug, the drift was continued another 76 feet. It was necessary to spile through the vug, as it was filled with mud. A raise was driven 55 feet to the surface in this vug for ventilation, and it was completed just as the demand for optical calcite ceased. The underground drifts were left well timbered, and mining of this deposit could be started with very little preliminary work.
How do you pronounce "vug"?
Pronounced /vʌɡ/.
Etymology
From Cornish vooga (“cave”); compare fogou.