gad

¹

[gad]

verb (used without object)

gadded, gadding 

1. to move restlessly or aimlessly from one place to another.

   to gad about.

noun

1. the act of gadding.

Gad

²

Or gad

[gad]

interjection

1. (used as a mild oath.)

gad

³

[gad]

noun

1. a goad for driving cattle.

2. a pointed mining tool for breaking up rock, coal, etc.

Gad

⁴

[gad]

noun

1. 1. (in the Bible) a son of Jacob and Zilpah.

   2. one of the 12 tribes of ancient Israel, traditionally descended from him.

2. (in the Bible) a Hebrew prophet and chronicler of the court of David.

Gad

¹

/ ɡæd /

noun

1. 1. Jacob's sixth son, whose mother was Zilpah, Leah's maid

   2. the Israelite tribe descended from him

   3. the territory of this tribe, lying to the east of the Jordan and extending southwards from the Sea of Galilee

2. a prophet and admonisher of David (I Samuel 22; II Samuel 24)

gad

²

/ ɡæd /

noun

1. mining a short chisel-like instrument for breaking rock or coal from the face

2. a goad for driving cattle

3. a western US word for spur

verb

1. (tr) mining to break up or loosen with a gad

gad

³

/ ɡæd /

verb

1. (intr; often foll by about or around) to go out in search of pleasure, esp in an aimless manner; gallivant

noun

1. carefree adventure (esp in the phrase on or upon the gad )

Gad

⁴

/ ɡæd /

noun

1. an archaic euphemism for God

   by Gad!

Other Word Forms

• gadder noun
• gaddingly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of gad¹

1425–75; late Middle English gadden, perhaps back formation from gadeling companion in arms, fellow (in 16th century, vagabond, wanderer), Old English gædeling, derivative of gæd fellowship; gather, -ling ¹

Origin of gad²

First recorded in 1600–10; euphemism for God

Origin of gad³

1175–1225; Middle English < Old Norse gaddr spike; cognate with Gothic gazds

Origin of gad⁴

From Late Latin, from Greek Gád, from Hebrew Gādh “(good) luck”

Word History and Origins

Origin of gad¹

C13: from Old Norse gaddr spike; related to Old High German gart , Gothic gazds spike

Origin of gad²

C15: back formation from obsolete gadling companion, from Old English, from gæd fellowship; related to Old High German gatuling

Example Sentences

Not exactly the boys of 1888, those 22 Lions pioneers who spent eight months gadding about New Zealand and Australia playing 35 games, but a fair old trip none the less.

Read more on BBC

The humor doesn’t so much pop as gad about.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“Hold your tongue, you disrespectful old bird! And, Jo, you’d better go at once. It isn’t proper to be gadding about so late with a rattlepated boy like...”

Read more on Literature

The Americas with Simon Reeve is an amiable travelogue in which a dishy documentarian gads about the US.

Read more on The Guardian

But with the big night in sight there's no more time for gadding about.

Read more on BBC