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Synonyms

gal

1 American  
[gal] / gæl /

noun

Informal: Sometimes Offensive.

  1. a term used to refer to a girl or woman.

gal 2 American  
[gal] / gæl /

noun

  1. a centimeter-gram-second unit of acceleration, equal to one centimeter per second per second.

gal. 3 American  

abbreviation

  1. gallon; gallons.

Gal. 4 American  

abbreviation

Bible.

  1. Galatians.

gal. 1 British  

abbreviation

  1. gallon

"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
gal 2 British  
/ ɡæl /

noun

  1. a unit of acceleration equal to 1 centimetre per second per second

"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
Gal. 3 British  

abbreviation

  1. Galatians

"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
gal 4 British  
/ ɡæl /

noun

  1. slang a girl

"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
GAL 5 British  

abbreviation

  1. get a life

"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
gal. Scientific  

  1. Abbreviation of gallon

Sensitive Note

See girl.

Etymology

Origin of gal1

First recorded in 1785–95; originally, a dialectal pronunciation of girl

Origin of gal2

First recorded in 1910–15; named after Galileo

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.

In September 2023 the NRA approved Chubu Electric's estimate of 1,200 gal, a unit of acceleration used to measure the intensity of quakes.

From Barron's • Jan. 6, 2026

That doctor contacted Platts Mills and his team to explore whether alpha gal sensitivity could be involved.

From Science Daily • Dec. 17, 2025

“You’re holding up the line,” said the gal behind us, openly disrespecting her elders.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2025

I was always a little community theater gal when I was younger.

From Salon • Dec. 4, 2024

“Jack was telling me you saw the gal in the movie you suppose to drive around. Did you?”

From "Native Son" by Richard Wright

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.