haul

▪ I. haul haul ¹ [hɔːl ǁ hɒːl] verb [transitive]

1. TRANSPORT if a train or truck hauls goods, it takes them from one place to another:

• The freight train hauled the load of 240 tons with ease.

• Union Pacific hauls garbage from Seattle to a landfill in eastern Oregon.

2. also haul up to officially make someone go to a senior manager, committee, or court to be judged on something they have done, especially something bad:

haul somebody before/​in front of somebody/​something

• Officials can be hauled before Congressional committees and asked to justify their policies.

• Bar staff who serve drunk drivers may get hauled up in front of the local judge if those people are later involved in accidents.

3. haul somebody over the coals to speak to someone angrily and severely because they have done something wrong:

• He might be hauled over the coals and forced to resign if his manager did not agree with his actions.

  [m0] ▪ II. haul haul ² noun [countable]

1. the amount of fish caught in one net or in one period of time:

• Demand for fishing boats depends on estimated sizes of fish hauls.

2. a large amount of stolen or illegal goods that has been found by the police or Customs:

haul of

• A haul of stolen cars has been seized by police.

• a £1 million drugs haul

3. TRAVEL long/​short haul connected with long or short journeys by plane:

• KLM earns most of its revenue on long-haul flights.

• a popular short-haul destination

* * *

Ⅰ.

haul UK US /hɔːl/ verb [T]

► TRANSPORT to transport goods over a long distance by truck, train, or ship: »

In 2006, shippers on the Great Lakes hauled 110 million tons of cargo.

► (also haul up) INFORMAL to make someone go to a person in authority to answer questions about something they have done: haul sb (up) before/in front of sb/sth »

The EU gave the government two months to come up with a good case or be hauled up before the European Court of Justice.

● haul sb over the coals — Cf. haul sb over the coals

Ⅱ.

haul UK US /hɔːl/ noun [C]

► a large amount of something that is illegal or has been stolen: »

It was one of the biggest drugs hauls police have seen in recent years.

a haul of sth »

They uncovered a haul of arms and ammunition at the suspect's address.

► a large amount of fish caught at one time: »

Fishermen have complained of poor hauls all year.

► a distance travelled carrying goods: short/long haul »

The railroads say they can't make money off short hauls if they don't also get income from the long trips.

→ See also BACKHAUL(Cf. ↑backhaul), LONG-HAUL(Cf. ↑long-haul), SHORT-HAUL(Cf. ↑short-haul)