rug

1. a piece of thick cloth or wool that covers part of a floor, used for warmth or as a decoration ⇨ mat, carpet
2. British English a large piece of material that you can wrap around yourself, especially when you are travelling
3. pull the rug (out) from under somebody/sb’s feet informal to suddenly take away something that someone was depending on to achieve what they wanted
4. a toupée – used humorously

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

rug

rug [rug rugs] [rʌɡ] [rʌɡ] noun

1. a piece of thick material like a small carpet that is used for covering or decorating part of a floor

• a hearth rug (= in front of a fireplace )

• an oriental rug

• a sheepskin rug

2. (BrE) a piece of thick warm material, like a blanket, that is used for wrapping around your legs to keep warm

• a travelling rug

• a tartan rug

3. (informal, especially NAmE) = toupee

see pull the rug (out) from under sb's feet at pull v., sweep sth under the rug at sweep v.

Word Origin:

mid 16th cent. (denoting a type of coarse woollen cloth): probably of Scandinavian origin; compare with Norwegian dialect rugga ‘coverlet’, Swedish rugg ‘ruffled hair’; related to rag ‘piece of cloth’. The sense ‘small carpet’ dates from the early 19th cent.

Example Bank:

• A Persian rug covered the polished floor.

• There were several brightly coloured rugs scattered around.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition

rug / rʌɡ / noun [ C ]

rug

B1 a piece of thick heavy cloth smaller than a carpet, used for covering the floor or for decoration:

My dog loves lying on the rug in front of the fire.

a soft cover that keeps you warm or comfortable slang for toupée

Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

rug

/rʌg/
(rugs)

1.
A rug is a piece of thick material that you put on a floor. It is like a carpet but covers a smaller area.
A Persian rug covered the hardwood floors.
N-COUNT

2.
A rug is a small blanket which you use to cover your shoulders or your knees to keep them warm. (mainly BRIT)
The old lady was seated in her chair at the window, a rug over her knees.
N-COUNT

3.
If someone pulls the rug from under a person or thing or pulls the rug from under someone’s feet, they stop giving their help or support.
If the banks opt to pull the rug from under the ill-fated project, it will go into liquidation.
to sweep something under the rug: see sweep
PHRASE: V inflects

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

rug

rug /ˈrʌg/ noun, pl rugs [count]
1 : a piece of thick, heavy material that is used to cover usually a section of a floor
• I accidentally spilled wine on the rug.
- see picture at living room; see also prayer rug, throw rug
2 chiefly US informal : a small wig that is usually worn by a man to cover a bald spot : toupee
• You could tell that he was wearing a rug.
3 Brit : a blanket that you put over your lap and legs to keep them warm
cut a rug
- see ¹cut
pull the rug (out) from under informal : to very suddenly take something needed or expected from (someone or something)
• We were ready to start work on the project when the mayor pulled the rug out from under us and cut the funding.
sweep (something) under the rug