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View synonyms for gaff

gaff

1

[ gaf ]

noun

  1. an iron hook with a handle for landing large fish.
  2. the spur on a climbing iron, especially as used by telephone linemen.
  3. Nautical. a spar rising aft from a mast to support the head of a quadrilateral fore-and-aft sail gaff sail, orgaff-headed sail.
  4. a metal spur for a gamecock.


verb (used with object)

  1. to hook or land (a fish) with a gaff.

gaff

2

[ gaf ]

noun

, Slang.
  1. harsh treatment or criticism (usually used in the phrase stand/take the gaff ):

    All the gaff he took never made him bitter.

    You shouldn't be in show biz if you can't stand the gaff.

gaff

3

[ gaf ]

verb (used with object)

  1. Slang. to cheat; fleece.

verb (used without object)

  1. British Slang. to gamble, especially to indulge in petty gambling, as to toss coins.

gaff

1

/ ɡæf /

noun

  1. angling a stiff pole with a stout prong or hook attached for landing large fish
  2. nautical a boom hoisted aft of a mast to support a gaffsail
  3. a metal spur fixed to the leg of a gamecock
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. angling to hook or land (a fish) with a gaff
  2. slang.
    to cheat; hoax
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

gaff

2

/ ɡæf /

noun

  1. slang.
    foolish talk; nonsense
  2. blow the gaff slang.
    to divulge a secret
  3. stand the gaff slang.
    to endure ridicule, difficulties, etc
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

gaff

3

/ ɡæf /

noun

  1. a person's home, esp a flat
  2. Also calledpenny-gaff a cheap or low-class place of entertainment, esp a cheap theatre or music hall in Victorian England
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Word History and Origins

Origin of gaff1

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English, from Middle French gaffe, gaff, from Provençal gaf “hook, gaff,” noun derivative of gafar “to seize” (compare Medieval Latin gaffare ), probably from unattested Germanic (Visigothic) gaff-, perhaps derivative from base of Gothic giban “to give”; give

Origin of gaff2

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900; of uncertain origin; compare earlier British use, “nonsense, humbug,” Scots dialect, “loud laugh, guffaw”; guff

Origin of gaff3

First recorded in 1745–55; origin uncertain
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Word History and Origins

Origin of gaff1

C13: from French gaffe, from Provençal gaf boathook

Origin of gaff2

C19: of unknown origin

Origin of gaff3

C18: of unknown origin
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Idioms and Phrases

see stand the gaff .
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Example Sentences

But the main attraction was gambling on roosters, which federal authorities said were made to fight — sometimes to the death — in an arena while wearing sharp blades known as “gaffs” on their legs.

We even left in “mistakes” — continuity errors, audio gaffs — using camera angles that may not feel as polished as other comedy specials.

The court also heard Craig had earlier texted a friend stating: "Gone to gaff the now to get that wee Bill."

From BBC

Ito rushed in with the gaff, helping to clear his way through the crowd.

“We use nets now, but we use a gaff all the time.”

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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