log
log — noun
1. a thick length of wood taken from a tree trunk or large branch, often cut short
a thick length of wood taken from a tree trunk or large branch, often cut short enough to burn inside a fireplace or outdoor fire pit
Mayumi tossed another log onto the fire and watched the sparks rise.
collocation: toss a log onto the fire
The cabin had a pile of split logs stacked against the wall for the winter.
collocation: split logs / a pile of logs
Wren sat on a fallen log near the river and sketched the view across the valley.
fallen log
The children dragged a heavy log to the campfire and pushed it into the flames.
Bao used a chainsaw to cut the fallen tree into logs for the wood stove.
collocation: cut [wood] into logs
- a fallen log
- a split log
- log cabin
- log pile
- stack of logs
Grammar Patterns
a log
logs of [wood type]
Usage Note
A log is thicker and chunkier than a branch or a stick. When cut into smaller pieces for burning, it is often called firewood.
Common Mistakes
2. a book, document, or data file in which someone enters a careful factual account
a book, document, or data file in which someone enters a careful factual account of events, journeys, communications, or other observations
The captain wrote a daily log of the weather and the distance the ship had travelled.
collocation: daily log / ship's log
Kwame kept a log of every phone call he made for the customer service project.
collocation: keep a log
The server saves an error log whenever the system crashes.
digital/technical domain: error log
Heloísa reviewed the maintenance log to find out when the elevator was last inspected.
The security guard signed the visitors' log at the front desk every morning.
collocation: visitors' log
- keep a log
- maintain a log
- update a log
- server log
- error log
- call log
- log entry
Grammar Patterns
keep a log
log of [something]
Usage Note
Frequently paired with verbs such as keep, maintain, update, and check. A log is more structured and factual than a journal or diary.
Common Mistakes
3. a short informal way of saying logarithm — a value showing how many times a base
a short informal way of saying logarithm — a value showing how many times a base number must be multiplied by itself to reach another number
The teacher asked the class to calculate log base two of sixty-four.
grammar pattern: log base [number] of [number]
Gabriel used a graphing calculator to find the natural log of the data points.
collocation: natural log (abbreviated ln)
In the exam, students could leave their answers as log values without simplifying further.
To solve the equation, first take the log of both sides with the same base.
The spreadsheet uses a built-in function to compute the log of each number in the column.
digital context: built-in log function
- log base
- natural log
- common log
- log table
- log function
- logarithm
the full formal term; interchangeable but more formal
Grammar Patterns
log base [number] of [number]
natural log (ln)
Usage Note
Common in spoken math classrooms and informal writing. In formal mathematics papers, the full term logarithm is preferred.
Common Mistakes
extremely easy; requiring very little effort
After three years of lessons, driving a car was as easy as falling off a log for Heloísa.
For someone who grew up near the sea, sailing a small boat is as easy as falling off a log.
sleep like a log
idiomto sleep very deeply and soundly, without waking up
After hiking twelve miles through the mountains, Tanvi slept like a log in her tent.
The baby slept like a log through the thunderstorm and did not cry once.
Something that is extremely simple to do or understand.
After practicing for weeks, the test was as easy as pie for Maya.
Fixing this old bike is as easy as falling off a log for Diego.
To sleep deeply and without waking up.
After the long hike, Sara slept like a log for ten hours.
Did you sleep like a baby last night despite the noise?
log — verb
1. to fell trees in a forest and remove them for their timber, typically as a comme
to fell trees in a forest and remove them for their timber, typically as a commercial operation or to prepare land for other uses
The company has been logging the pine forest for over twenty years without replanting.
transitive: log [area]
Christopher spent his summers logging in the forests of northern British Columbia.
intransitive: go logging
Strict permits are required before anyone can log on public land near the national park.
Noa's grandfather logged the pine forest for thirty years before switching to maple syrup production.
transitive: log [area]
The government banned logging in protected rainforests to preserve the wildlife.
- log a forest
- logging company
- logging industry
- illegal logging
Grammar Patterns
log [area]
log [trees]
go logging
Usage Note
The intransitive form (to log / to go logging) refers to the occupation or activity in general, not a single tree.
Common Mistakes
2. to make an official written or digital note of information, events, or data, esp
to make an official written or digital note of information, events, or data, especially as part of a routine process
The nurse logged the patient's temperature every four hours on the chart.
collocation: log data / log information
Each delivery driver must log the time of arrival and departure on the company system.
Élise logged all her expenses in a spreadsheet at the end of every month.
grammar pattern: log [items] in [system/location]
The research team logs the position of each whale sighting on a shared map.
Samir logged the serial number of every piece of equipment before the audit began.
collocation: log serial numbers / log items
- log data
- log hours
- log information
- log details
- log time
Grammar Patterns
log [something]
log [something] in/by/on [record]
Usage Note
Often used in professional and technical contexts. The object is typically factual data such as time, quantity, observations, or transactions.
Common Mistakes
3. to reach a certain number of miles, kilometres, or hours of travel and note it i
to reach a certain number of miles, kilometres, or hours of travel and note it in an official record, especially as the pilot of a ship, plane, or vehicle
The cargo ship logged over eight thousand nautical miles during its Atlantic crossing.
collocation: log [distance] miles
Liam has logged more than two thousand hours of flying time since getting his licence.
collocation: log [number] hours
The delivery van logged nearly five hundred kilometres on Monday alone.
Yuki logged thirty thousand kilometres driving across Canada last summer.
Trainee pilots must log at least forty hours of night flying before the final test.
grammar: log + time requirement
- log miles
- log hours
- log kilometres
- log time
Grammar Patterns
log [distance]
log [number] miles/kilometers/hours
Usage Note
The object is always a quantity of distance or time. The person or vehicle doing the travelling is the grammatical subject.
Common Mistakes
log in / log on
phrasal verbto enter a username and password in order to gain access to a computer system, website, or network
Andrew could not log in to his email account because he had forgotten the password.
Before the exam started, each student had to log on to the school system with their student ID.
log off / log out
phrasal verbto exit a computer system, website, or network by giving the closing command
Always log out of your bank account when using a shared computer at the library.
The system automatically logs off after thirty minutes of inactivity.
log — abbreviation
1. short written form of the word logic, used mainly in course titles and academic
short written form of the word logic, used mainly in course titles and academic references
Professor Aisha Chen teaches Phil 201: Log, a required course for the philosophy programme.
academic abbreviation
The textbook was listed in the syllabus simply as Intro to Log.
The department offers both Log and Ethics in the same semester.
Students who passed Log last year are now taking Metaphysics.
The exam timetable lists Log 101 in room 304 on Tuesday morning.
- Intro to Log
- Log 101
- Log course
log — combining form
1. a word-part borrowed from Greek, used in English to form words related to speech
a word-part borrowed from Greek, used in English to form words related to speech, words, ideas, or rational thought — seen in words like dialogue, monologue, and logic
In monologue and catalogue, the suffix -logue comes from the Greek root log-.
appears as -logue or -log in compounds
The root log- appears in English words from dialogue to logarithm.
root: log-, -logue, -log
Words ending in -logue often describe a type of spoken exchange or written work.
The combining form -logy shares the same Greek root meaning speech or study.
Linguists trace words like prologue back to the same Greek stem logos.
Usage Note
This is a Greek-derived combining form, not an independent word. It appears as -logue (British) or -log (American) at the end of compound nouns.
log — noun combining form
1. a variant spelling of the Greek-derived suffix -logue, used in nouns such as tra
a variant spelling of the Greek-derived suffix -logue, used in nouns such as travelogue and ideologue
The form -log appears in American spellings such as catalog and dialog.
American spelling: -log; British: -logue
Travelogue is sometimes spelled travelog in American publications.
An ideologue follows a set of beliefs strictly, regardless of opposing views.
In American English, catalog uses -log rather than -logue with the same meaning.
Readers may see -log or -logue; both refer to the same Greek word stem.
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/2
A log is a factual, often chronological account of events, data, or activities — for example, a captain's log or a server error log. It is objective and structured. A record is broader and can refer to any stored information (medical record, criminal record) without implying a timeline. A register is a formal, official list, usually of names, transactions, or attendance. A journal can be personal and subjective, though it also serves as a factual record in academic contexts (research journal). A diary is almost always personal, focused on daily emotions and reflections. In practice: a pilot logs flight hours in a logbook (structured data); a scientist records experimental data in a lab journal (factual but more narrative); a teenager writes in a personal diary (private and emotional).
Common collocations
Nouns
- data
- hours
- miles
- details
- information
- time
- temperature
- expenses
Adverbs
Phrases
- keep a log of
- log in to a system
- log off the network
Etymology
The noun log comes from Middle English logge, probably from Old Norse lág meaning 'a felled tree'. The 'written record' meaning of log began in the 1600s: ships used a wooden log attached to a rope (the chip log) to measure speed, and sailors recorded the results in a book that became known as the logbook. The verb log thus came to mean 'to enter data in the logbook'. The mathematical term logarithm (from Greek logos 'ratio, word, reason' + arithmos 'number') was shortened to log in informal use. The computing phrases log in/out (1960s) extend the idea of recording access to a system.