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gavage

American  
[guh-vahzh, ga-vazh] / gəˈvɑʒ, gaˈvaʒ /

noun

  1. forced feeding, as by a flexible tube and a force pump.


gavage British  
/ ˈɡævɑːʒ /

noun

  1. forced feeding by means of a tube inserted into the stomach through the mouth

"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

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.

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

The very notion of a Twitter feed suggests the gavage force-feeding that fattens a duck before it becomes foie gras.

From Newsweek

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 Proudfit, Fairfax T.