gargle

[gahr-guh l]

verb (used without object), gar·gled, gar·gling.

to wash or rinse the throat or mouth with a liquid held in the throat and kept in motion by a stream of air from the lungs.

verb (used with object), gar·gled, gar·gling.

to gargle (the throat or mouth).
to utter with a gargling sound.

noun

any liquid used for gargling.
a gargling sound.

Origin of gargle

1520–30; < Middle French gargouiller to gargle, rattle the throat, derivative of gargouille throat; perhaps imitative

Related formsgar·gler, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for gargles

irrigate, swish, trill

Examples from the Web for gargles

Historical Examples of gargles

He practised all sorts of amiable deceptions upon his patients,—making them take medicine in salad and gargles in beer.
Ocean's Story; or Triumphs of Thirty Centuries
Edward Rowland
Adults may use washes, gargles, or sprays of solutions of sodium borate or of sodium bicarbonate.
A System of Practical Medicine By American Authors, Vol. II
Various
The medico was called in, who prescribed bleeding and gargles and removal from the confined air of the prison.
A History of The Inquisition of Spain; vol. 2,
Henry Charles Lea
Some remedies may be applied directly to the throat by gargles, and to the nose and throat by sprays.
American Red Cross Text-Book on Home Hygiene and Care of the Sick
Jane A. Delano
As a rule the gargles do not aid in the cure of the disease, though they contribute to the comfort of the patient.
The Eugenic Marriage, Volume IV. (of IV.)
Grant Hague

British Dictionary definitions for gargles

gargle

verb

to rinse (the mouth and throat) with a liquid, esp a medicinal fluid by slowly breathing out through the liquid
to utter (words, sounds, etc) with the throaty bubbling noise of gargling

noun

the liquid used for gargling
the sound produced by gargling
British informal an alcoholic drinkwhat was her favourite gargle?

Derived Formsgargler, noun

Word Origin for gargle

C16: from Old French gargouiller to gargle, make a gurgling sound, from gargouille throat, perhaps of imitative origin

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 gargles

gargle

1520s, from Middle French gargouiller "to gurgle, bubble" (14c.), from Old French gargole "throat, waterspout," perhaps from garg-, imitative of throat sounds, + *goule, dialect word for "mouth," from Latin gula "throat." Related: Gargled; gargling. The earlier, native, form of the word was Middle English gargarize (early 15c.).

gargle

1650s, from gargle (v.).

gargles in Medicine

gargle

[gär′gəl]

To force exhaled air through a liquid held in the back of the mouth, with the head tilted back, in order to cleanse or medicate the mouth or throat.

A medicated fluid used for gargling.throatwash