gag

[gag]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR gag ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), gagged, gag·ging.

to stop up the mouth of (a person) by putting something in it, thus preventing speech, shouts, etc.

to restrain by force or authority from freedom of speech; silence.

to fasten open the jaws of, as in surgical operations.

to cause to retch or choke.

Metalworking. to straighten or bend (a bar, rail, etc.) with a gag.

verb (used without object), gagged, gag·ging.

to retch or choke.

noun

something put into a person's mouth to prevent speech, shouting, etc.

any forced or arbitrary suppression of freedom of speech.

a surgical instrument for holding the jaws open.

Metalworking. a shaped block of steel used with a press to straighten or bend a bar, rail, etc.

Nearby words

Origin of gag

1400–50; late Middle English gaggen to suffocate; perhaps imitative of the sound made in choking

SYNONYMS FOR gag

2. curb, stifle, suppress.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR gag ON THESAURUS.COM

gag

[gag]Informal.

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

1770–80; perhaps special use of gag¹; compare Old Norse gagg yelp

gag

[gag]

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 U.S.

any of several related fishes.

Origin of gag

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; origin uncertain

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for gag

But when a serial sex predator is playing fanboy, the gag reflex kicks in.
Sleazy Billionaire’s Double Life Featured Beach Parties With Stephen Hawking|M.L. Nestel|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
They obtained a gag order against the defendant and his lawyers restricting what they could say about the case for several months.
Sentencing Looms for Barrett Brown, Advocate for “Anonymous”|Kevin M. Gallagher|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And bonus points for the school bus that burst into flames with the comic timing of a Simpsons gag.
The Walking Dead’s ‘Self Help’: A Grim Show Displays Its Comedy Streak, and A Major Reveal|Melissa Leon|November 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In the convention, Washington scrupulously followed the gag rule, so his thoughts on the proceedings are somewhat unknown.
Washington’s Wheeler-Dealer Patriotism|William O’Connor|October 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST

“We blew up an entire planet, just for a Doofenshmirtz gag,” laughs Povenmire.
‘Phineas and Ferb’ Pilot Disney’s Premier Voyage into ‘Star Wars’|Jason Lynch|July 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The "Be Discreet" of the Beard was a gag, which he rolled round the servant's head in expert fashion.
Messengers of Evil|Pierre Souvestre
He saw himself seized by servants, trussed, and taken into a cellar with a gag in his mouth.
The Red and the Black|Stendhal
The effects of the chloroform were wearing off, but the gag kept him silent, and the ropes bound his hands and feet.
Baseball Joe in the Big League|Lester Chadwick
Muggs waved his head from side to side and caused the gag to slip again.
The Black Star|Johnston McCulley
The cloth of the gag would be eaten, too, but by that time, there would be no flesh under it from which a scream might come.
Happy Ending|Fredric Brown

British Dictionary definitions for gag

gag

verb gags, gagging or gagged

(tr) to stop up (a person's mouth), esp with a piece of cloth, etc, to prevent him or her from speaking or crying out

(tr) to suppress or censor (free expression, information, etc)

to retch or cause to retch

(intr) to struggle for breath; choke

(tr) to hold (the jaws) of (a person or animal) apart with a surgical gag

(tr) to apply a gag-bit to (a horse)

be gagging for or be gagging to slang to be very eager to have or do something

noun

a piece of cloth, rope, etc, stuffed into or tied across the mouth

any restraint on or suppression of information, free speech, etc

a surgical device for keeping the jaws apart, as during a tonsillectomy

parliamentary procedure another word for closure (def. 4)

Word Origin for gag

C15 gaggen; perhaps imitative of a gasping sound

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 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for gag

gag

mid-15c., "to choke, strangle," possibly imitative or influenced by Old Norse gaghals "with head thrown back." The sense of "stop a person's mouth" is first attested c.1500. Related: Gagged; gagging.

gag

n.1

"joke," 1863, probably related to theatrical sense of "matter interpolated in a written piece by the actor" (1847); or from the sense "made-up story" (1805); or from slang verbal sense of "to deceive, take in with talk" (1777), all perhaps on notion of "stuff, fill" (see gag (v.)).

n.2

"act of gagging," 1550s, from gag (v.); figurative use from 1620s.

Medicine definitions for gag

gag

[găg]

v.

To choke, retch, or undergo a regurgitative spasm.

To prevent from talking.

n.

An instrument adjusted between the teeth to keep the mouth from closing during operations in the mouth or throat.

gag

verb (used with object), gagged, gag·ging.

verb (used without object), gagged, gag·ging.

noun

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RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of gag

gag

noun

verb (used without object), gagged, gag·ging.

verb (used with object), gagged, gag·ging.

Origin of gag

gag

noun, plural (especially collectively) gag, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) gags.

Origin of gag

Examples from the Web for gag

gag

verb gags, gagging or gagged

noun

Word Origin for gag

noun

verb gags, gagging or gagged

Word Origin for gag

gag

gag

gag

v.

n.