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gar

1
[ gahr ]
/ gɑr /
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noun, plural (especially collectively) gar, (especially referring to two or more kinds or species) gars.

Also called garfish, garpike. any predaceous freshwater fish of the genus Lepisosteus, of North America, covered with hard, diamond-shaped scales and having long jaws with needlelike teeth.
needlefish(def 1).

RELATED WORDS

bayonet, pike, weapon, bill, javelin, partisan, lancet, halberd, partizan

Nearby words

  1. gaping,
  2. gaposis,
  3. gapped scale,
  4. gapper,
  5. gapping,
  6. gar.,
  7. garage,
  8. garage band,
  9. garage sale,
  10. garageman

Origin of gar

1
1755–65, Americanism; shortened form of garfish

gar

2
[ gahr ]
/ gɑr /

verb (used with object), garred, gar·ring.

Scot. to compel or force (someone) to do something.
Scot. and North England Obsolete. to do, perform, or cause.

Origin of gar

2
1250–1300; Middle English geren, garren, gairen < Old Norse gera to do, make; akin to Old English gearwian to prepare

gar.

garage.

G.A.R.

Grand Army of the Republic.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for gar

British Dictionary definitions for gar

gar

1
/ (ɡɑː) /

noun plural gar or gars

short for garpike, garfish

verb

(tr) Scot to cause or compel

Word Origin for gar

from Old Norse
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 gar

gar

n.

"pike-like fish," 1765, American English, shortening of garfish (mid-15c.), from Old English gar "spear," from Proto-Germanic *gaizo- (cf. Old Norse geirr, Old Saxon, Old High German ger, German Ger "spear"), from PIE *ghaiso- "stick, spear" (see goad).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper