gavage
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of gavage
1885–90; < French, equivalent to gav ( er ) to stuff ( Old French (dial.) gave gullet, throat) + -age -age
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.
He said that in the wild, ducks gorge before migration and store fat in their livers and argues that "gavage" -- the process of force-feeding -- is a traditional means of animal husbandry.
From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026
Mr. Henley argued that gavage did not actually hurt the ducks; Mr. Saravia laid out the ban’s potential economic impact, especially on the farmworkers.
From New York Times ● Jan. 17, 2020
While foie gras can be produced by natural feeding, in France it must be made by a process known as gavage in which ducks and geese are force-fed corn through a tube.
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2019
Before imaging, mice were anaesthetized by isoflurane inhalation, placed in a supine position, and their colons evacuated of stool using a gavage needle.
From Nature ● Mar. 28, 2017
Care must be observed by the nurse in giving gavage to babies, since any struggling on the part of the child may result in death from heart disease.
From Dietetics for Nurses by Fairfax T. Proudfit
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.
