gaggle
Americanverb (used without object)
noun
-
a flock of geese when not flying.
-
an often noisy or disorderly group or gathering.
a politician followed by a gaggle of supporters.
-
an assortment of related things.
verb
noun
-
a flock of geese
-
informal a disorderly group of people
-
a gabbling or cackling sound
Etymology
Origin of gaggle
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English verb gagelen ; of imitative origin
Explanation
A gaggle is a group of geese. You can also describe a bunch of people milling around in a disorganized way as a gaggle. Gaggle is a word known as a "term of venery," a collective noun used to describe a particular group of animals. When a bunch of geese waddle around on the ground, that's a gaggle of geese. If those same geese were flying overhead, you'd call them a flock or a skein instead. Gaggle is also useful for describing a disorderly or chaotic group of people: "I was surrounded by a gaggle of three-year-olds eager to pet my puppy."
Vocabulary lists containing gaggle
"Thanksgiving: A Personal History"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Wild Robot Protects
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Compound Fracture
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But unlike the tradwife with her gaggle of youngsters underfoot, the orangutan mother sustains this intense caretaking by spacing her kids seven or so years apart.
From Slate • May 10, 2026
This week, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi wisited the White House that ended with a press gaggle.
From Salon • Mar. 21, 2026
A gaggle of emotional relatives clutched bouquets of flowers and placards bearing loved-ones' names as prisoners were released from Insein's barbed-wire boundary shortly before noon.
From Barron's • Mar. 2, 2026
And there is the wholesale trashing of the editorial staffers of the real-life Condé Nast, here a gaggle of privileged narcissists who are accidentally infected, quarantined and treated like human garbage.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 21, 2026
He looked around to see a gaggle of first years running back around the corner, apparently under the impression that they had just encountered a particularly foulmouthed ghost.
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
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.
