galling
[ gaw-ling ]
/ ˈgɔ lɪŋ /
adjective
that galls; chafing; irritating; vexing; exasperating.
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OTHER WORDS FROM galling
gall·ing·ly, adverbgall·ing·ness, nounun·gall·ing, adjectiveWords nearby galling
gallimaufry, gallinacean, gallinaceous, gallinas, gallinas point, galling, gallinipper, gallinule, galliot, gallipoli, gallipot
Definition for galling (2 of 2)
gall2
[ gawl ]
/ gɔl /
verb (used with object)
to make sore by rubbing; chafe severely: The saddle galled the horse's back.
to vex or irritate greatly: His arrogant manner galls me.
verb (used without object)
noun
Origin of gall
2before 1000; Middle English galle (noun), gallen (v.) perhaps < Middle Dutch, Middle Low German gall, akin to Old English gealla sore on a horse
OTHER WORDS FROM gall
un·galled, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for galling
British Dictionary definitions for galling (1 of 4)
galling
/ (ˈɡɔːlɪŋ) /
adjective
irritating, exasperating, or bitterly humiliating
obsolete rubbing painfully; chafing
Derived forms of galling
gallingly, adverbBritish Dictionary definitions for galling (2 of 4)
gall1
/ (ɡɔːl) /
noun
informal impudence
bitterness; rancour
something bitter or disagreeable
physiol an obsolete term for bile 1
an obsolete term for gall bladder
Word Origin for gall
from Old Norse, replacing Old English gealla; related to Old High German galla, Greek kholē
British Dictionary definitions for galling (3 of 4)
gall2
/ (ɡɔːl) /
noun
a sore on the skin caused by chafing
something that causes vexation or annoyancea gall to the spirits
irritation; exasperation
verb
pathol to abrade (the skin, etc) as by rubbing
(tr) to irritate or annoy; vex
Word Origin for gall
C14: of Germanic origin; related to Old English gealla sore on a horse, and perhaps to gall 1
British Dictionary definitions for galling (4 of 4)
gall3
/ (ɡɔːl) /
noun
an abnormal outgrowth in plant tissue caused by certain parasitic insects, fungi, bacteria, or mechanical injury
Word Origin for gall
C14: from Old French galle, from Latin galla
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Scientific definitions for galling
gall
[ gôl ]
An abnormal swelling of plant tissue, caused by injury or by parasitic organisms such as insects, mites, nematodes, and bacteria. Parasites stimulate the production of galls by secreting chemical irritants on or in the plant tissue. Galls stimulated by egg-laying parasites typically provide a protective environment in which the eggs can hatch and the pupae develop, and they usually do only minor damage to the host plant. Gall-stimulating fungi and microorganisms, such as the bacterium that causes crown gall, are generally considered to be plant diseases.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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