ergo

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/ˈɝɡoʊ/
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A formal way to mark a conclusion, and in rowing an informal name for an indoor rowing machine.
Practice using ergo in conversation until it feels natural

Examples

  • She had already signed the contract, ergo the offer was binding.
  • A hard session on the ergo exposed every flaw in her rhythm.
  • He pulled a personal best for 2,000 meters on the ergo.
  • The data were incomplete, ergo the conclusion was provisional.
  • The novice rowers warmed up on the ergo before practice.

Similar words

indoor rower
erg
for that reason
ergometer
consequently
hence
rowing machine
rower
therefore
thus

Meanings

Therefore

adverb
logic
formal
For that reason, introducing a conclusion or result that follows from what has just been said.

Examples

  • The data were incomplete, ergo the conclusion was provisional.
  • The door was locked from inside, ergo someone had a key.
  • Demand rose and supply stayed flat, ergo prices increased.
  • The premise is false, ergo the argument fails.
  • She had already signed the contract, ergo the offer was binding.

Similar words

therefore
consequently
thus
hence
accordingly
so
for that reason

Indoor rowing machine

noun
sport
informal
An indoor rowing machine or ergometer, especially the kind used by rowers for training and testing.

Examples

  • The novice rowers warmed up on the ergo before practice.
  • He pulled a personal best for 2,000 meters on the ergo.
  • The boathouse added six new ergos for winter training.
  • A hard session on the ergo exposed every flaw in her rhythm.
  • The coach checked the split times from each ergo.

Similar words

ergometer
rowing machine
indoor rower
erg
rower

Etymology

The connective came into Middle English from Latin ergō, meaning “therefore”. The rowing noun is shortened from ergometer, a machine name built on the idea of measuring work.

FAQ

What does ergo mean?

Ergo usually means therefore or for that reason.

Is ergo formal?

Yes. Ergo sounds formal, logical, or deliberately old-fashioned compared with so.

Can ergo mean a rowing machine?

Yes. In rowing and fitness talk, an ergo is an indoor rowing machine or ergometer.

Is ergo the same as because?

No. Because gives the reason, while ergo introduces the result or conclusion.

Is ergo related to ergonomics?

The formal adverb comes from Latin ergō. The rowing noun comes from ergometer, whose first part is related to Greek ergon, meaning work.

Comments & contributions

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Hidden Crane
Jul 17
esta me recuerda a luego in pienso, luego existo, pero no lo usaría hablando con amigos
1
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Olive Dingo
Jul 14
rowers have terrifying vocabulary, split, catch, erg, all of it
0
Reply
Solar Koala
Jul 13
In French class we got donc for the Descartes line, so ergo felt backwards when I first saw it in English.
0
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Rustic Swallow
Jul 11
Not me writing ergo in one email and then deleting it because it sounded like a cartoon detective
1
Reply
Grand Magpie
Jul 10
my logic teacher loved this word way too much
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Midnight Salamander
Jul 9
sounds fancy but also a bit goofy, which is why I like it
1
Reply
Dashing Beagle
Jul 9
Ergo Proxy fans found the dictionary page by accident, probably
0
Reply
Lucky Nightingale
Jul 7
the rowing meaning surprised me, i thought erg was only a physics unit
0
Reply
Cobalt Gazelle
Jul 7
I can never read this without hearing cogito ergo sum in my head
1
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Contribution
Violet Bee
Jul 5
It works best when the first part gives evidence and the second part is the inference. Rain on every coat, ergo people came in wet. Flip that around and it gets weird fast.
4
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Contribution
Fresh Toad
Jul 2
Dont assume Ergo Chair or ergo keyboard means therefore chair. A lot of product names use ergo as short for ergonomic, from the work root behind ergonomics.
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Autumn Whale
Jul 3
therefore keyboard would be an amazing product name though
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Contribution
Witty Fox
Jun 29
Pronunciation can split by accent. My US friends say ER-go with the r, my UK tutor said it closer to UR-go, and Latin class was a third thing.
2
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Contribution
Maple Octopus
Jun 27
En español también se entiende, pero suena fufurufo. Si dices ergo en una charla normal parece que estás jugando a filósofo.
2
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Contribution
Loyal Owl
Jun 26
German has ergo too, but its still a bookish little connector. In normal speech I would say also or deshalb long before ergo.
3
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Giddy Osprey
Jun 24
Post hoc ergo propter hoc is a good fossil phrase to know. The trick is that ergo is where the bad argument happens, later than X gets treated as caused by X.
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Calm Dragonfly
Jun 26
that phrase is how I finally stopped reading ergo as because
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Contribution
Fleet Iguana
Jun 23
For strict school punctuation, I would not just stick a comma before ergo between two full sentences. Make it a new sentence, or put and before ergo if the sentence needs to stay together.
4
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Contribution
Free Oriole
Jun 23
I wouldnt use ergo as a normal essay connector unless the tone is joking or very formal. In a CAE-style essay it can look like you discovered one Latin word and wanted everyone to notice.
9
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Contribution
Fluffy Kudu
Jun 22
Rowing people may say erg more than ergo, at least in the US forums I read. In Australia and some clubs, though, the whiteboard will happily say 2k ergo and everyone knows it means the machine.
7
Reply
Copper Chipmunk
Jun 23
yep, in my club it was always ergo for the test day and erg for the machine, dont ask me why
2
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