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gab
1[ gab ]
/ gæb /
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verb (used without object), gabbed, gab·bing.
to talk or chat idly; chatter.
noun
idle talk; chatter.
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Origin of gab
1First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English noun gab, gabbe “deceit, falsehood, idle talk”; probably from Old Norse gabba “to mock”; cf. gabble
OTHER WORDS FROM gab
gabber, nounWords nearby gab
Other definitions for gab (2 of 3)
gab2
[ gab ]
/ gæb /
noun Machinery.
a hook or fork that engages temporarily with a moving rod or lever.
Origin of gab
2First recorded in 1790–95; origin uncertain; possibly from Dutch dialect gabbe “notch, gash”
Other definitions for gab (3 of 3)
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use gab in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for gab (1 of 3)
gab1
/ (ɡæb) informal /
verb gabs, gabbing or gabbed
(intr) to talk excessively or idly, esp about trivial matters; gossip; chatter
noun
idle or trivial talk
gift of the gab ability to speak effortlessly, glibly, or persuasively
Derived forms of gab
gabber, nounWord Origin for gab
C18: variant of Northern dialect gob mouth, probably from Irish Gaelic gob beak, mouth
British Dictionary definitions for gab (2 of 3)
gab2
/ (ɡæb) /
noun
a hook or open notch in a rod or lever that drops over the spindle of a valve to form a temporary connection for operating the valve
a pointed tool used in masonry
Word Origin for gab
C18: probably from Flemish gabbe notch, gash
British Dictionary definitions for gab (3 of 3)
GAB
abbreviation for
Gabon (international car registration)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Other Idioms and Phrases with gab
gab
see gift of gab.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.