gag

¹ American  

[gag] / gæg /

verb (used with object)

gagged, gagging

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

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

   Synonyms:

   suppress, stifle, curb

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

4. to cause to retch or choke.

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

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verb (used without object)

gagged, gagging

1. to retch or choke.

noun

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

2. any forced or arbitrary suppression of freedom of speech.

3. a surgical instrument for holding the jaws open.

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

gag ² American  

[gag] / gæg /

noun

1. a joke, especially one introduced into a script or an actor's part.

2. any contrived piece of wordplay or horseplay.

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verb (used without object)

gagged, gagging

1. to tell jokes or make amusing remarks.

2. to introduce gags in acting.

3. to play on another's credulity, as by telling false stories.

verb (used with object)

gagged, gagging

1. to introduce usually comic interpolations into (a script, an actor's part, or the like) (usually followed byup ).

gag ³ American  

[gag] / gæg /

noun

gag, plural gags plural

1. a serranid game fish, Mycteroperca microlepsis, found along the southeastern coast of the United States.

2. any of several related fishes.

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gag ¹ British  

/ ɡæɡ /

verb

1. (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

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

3. to retch or cause to retch

4. (intr) to struggle for breath; choke

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

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

7. slang to be very eager to have or do something

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noun

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

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

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

4. parliamentary procedure another word for closure

gag ² British  

/ ɡæɡ /

noun

1. a joke or humorous story, esp one told by a professional comedian

2. a hoax, practical joke, etc

   he did it for a gag

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verb

1. (intr) to tell jokes or funny stories, as comedians in nightclubs, etc

2. (often foll by up) theatre

   1. to interpolate lines or business not in the actor's stage part, usually comic and improvised

   2. to perform a stage jest, either spoken or based on movement

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• gag
  plural
• gags
  plural

Etymology

Origin of gag¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English gaggen “to strangle, suffocate”; perhaps imitative of the sound made in choking; compare Old Norse adjective gag-háls “with the neck thrown back”

Origin of gag²

First recorded in 1770–80; perhaps special use of gag ¹

Origin of gag³

An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; origin uncertain

Explanation

A gag is a piece of cloth that's tied around a person's face to keep them from speaking or being heard. Cartoon bad guys often tie up their victims and put gags over their mouths. To use a gag for shutting someone up is to gag them. Both the noun and verb forms of gag can also be figurative: "Her government is trying to gag her by censoring her," or "The lack of a right to free speech in some countries is a gag." Another way to gag is to retch, or begin to vomit. The root of gag is probably the Old Norse gag-hals, "with head thrown back."

Example Sentences

And one company that operates on Gag island, which has particularly rich deposits of nickel, has been allowed to continue its operations.

From BBC • Jun. 14, 2025

MANKATO, Minn. — Seven tough weeks passed with her husband in the hospital before Nancy Gag Braun found long-term care for him.

From Seattle Times • May 23, 2024

“Here, the gravity of potential harm is small, given that the Gag Order is narrow, limited to prohibiting solely statements regarding the court’s staff,” the panel wrote.

From Washington Times • Dec. 14, 2023

Over the next decade he published books like “Blue Ribbon Comedy,” “The Working Comedian’s Gag File,” “Tag-Lines,” “Bits, Boffs and Banter” and “The Emcee’s Handbook” He would publish dozens of joke collections in his career.

From New York Times • Feb. 8, 2023

Meanwhile the Old Gag was sitting in his corner of the dressing-room, his head bowed on his breast, his gruel untasted on the tray before him.

From The Wit and Humor of America, Volume III. (of X.) by Wilder, Marshall Pinckney

Related Words

• hoax
• quip
• ruse
• trick
• wisecrack