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gag
1[ gag ]
/ gĂŠg /
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verb (used with object), gagged, gag·ging.
verb (used without object), gagged, gag·ging.
to retch or choke.
noun
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Origin of gag
1First recorded in 1400â50; late Middle English gaggen âto strangle, suffocateâ; perhaps imitative of the sound made in choking; compare Old Norse adjective gag-hĂĄls âwith the neck thrown backâ
Words nearby gag
gaff rig, gaff-rigged, gaff sail, gaff topsail, gaff-topsail catfish, gag, gaga, gagaku, Gagarin, Gagauzi, gag-bit
Other definitions for gag (2 of 3)
gag2
[ gag ]
/ gĂŠg /
noun
a joke, especially one introduced into a script or an actor's part.
any contrived piece of wordplay or horseplay.
verb (used without object), gagged, gag·ging.
to tell jokes or make amusing remarks.
to introduce gags in acting.
to play on another's credulity, as by telling false stories.
verb (used with object), gagged, gag·ging.
to introduce usually comic interpolations into (a script, an actor's part, or the like) (usually followed by up).
Origin of gag
2First recorded in 1770â80; perhaps special use of gag1
Other definitions for gag (3 of 3)
gag3
[ gag ]
/ gĂŠg /
noun, plural (especially collectively) gag, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) gags.
a serranid game fish, Mycteroperca microlepsis, found along the southeastern coast of the United States.
any of several related fishes.
Origin of gag
3An Americanism dating back to 1880â85; origin uncertain
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use gag in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for gag (1 of 2)
gag1
/ (ÉĄĂŠÉĄ) /
verb gags, gagging or gagged
noun
Word Origin for gag
C15 gaggen; perhaps imitative of a gasping sound
British Dictionary definitions for gag (2 of 2)
gag2
/ (ÉĄĂŠÉĄ) informal /
noun
a joke or humorous story, esp one told by a professional comedian
a hoax, practical joke, etche did it for a gag
verb gags, gagging or gagged
(intr) to tell jokes or funny stories, as comedians in nightclubs, etc
(often foll by up) theatre
- to interpolate lines or business not in the actor's stage part, usually comic and improvised
- to perform a stage jest, either spoken or based on movement
Word Origin for gag
C19: perhaps special use of gag 1
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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