gash

¹ American  

[gash] / gæʃ /

noun

1. a long, deep wound or cut; slash.

2. Slang: Vulgar.

   1. the vagina.

   2. Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. a contemptuous term used to refer to a woman considered as a sex object.

---

verb (used with object)

gashes, present (3rd person singular) gashed, past participle, past gashing present participle

1. to make a long, deep cut in; slash.

gash ² American  

[gash] / gæʃ /

adjective

Chiefly Scot.

1. wise, sagacious.

2. neat; well-dressed; well-groomed.

---

gash ³ American  

[gash] / gæʃ /

adjective

Scot. Archaic.

1. dreary or gloomy in appearance.

---

gash ¹ British  

/ ɡæʃ /

verb

1. (tr) to make a long deep cut or wound in; slash

---

noun

1. a long deep cut or wound

gash ² British  

/ ɡæʃ /

adjective

1. slang surplus to requirements; unnecessary, extra, or spare

---

Sensitive Note

When referring to a female, this term is used with disparaging intent and perceived as highly insulting. The word cunt shows a similar transfer of meaning from a woman’s genitalia to the woman herself.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• ungashed
  adjective

Conjugated Forms

Present

• has gashed
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have gashed
  perfect
• am gashing
  progressive 1st person singular
• has been gashing
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• have been gashing
  perfect progressive
• are gashing
  progressive
• is gashing
  progressive 3rd person singular
• gashes
  singular 3rd person
• gashing
  participle

Past

• had gashed
  perfect
• was gashing
  progressive singular
• were gashing
  progressive plural
• had been gashing
  perfect progressive
• gashed
  participle
• gashed
  simple

Future

• will gash
  simple
• will have gashed
  perfect
• will have been gashing
  perfect progressive
• will be gashing
  progressive

Etymology

Origin of gash¹

First recorded in 1540–50; alteration of Middle English garsen, garcen “to make medical incisions” (with alteration of s to sh after r), from Old French garser, jarsier “to scarify, wound,” from unrecoreded Vulgar Latin charaxāre, from Greek charássein “to scratch, notch”; see origin at character

Origin of gash²

First recorded in 1700–10; origin uncertain

Origin of gash³

First recorded in 1580–90; origin uncertain

Explanation

A gash is a deep cut, like a gash on your knee from a biking accident, or a gash in the earth caused by workers who are digging up a broken sewer. The noun gash describes a wound or cut, so it makes sense that as a verb, gash describes the act of making that wound or cut, as in, people signing up for a knife skills class taught by a chef because they are tired of gashing their fingers when chopping vegetables.

Example Sentences

To GASH, v. n. to talk much and confidently; pert, insolent talking.

From Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland, Volume XXIV. by Leighton, Alexander