gouge

[gouj]

noun

1. a chisel having a partly cylindrical blade with the bevel on either the concave or the convex side.

2. an act of gouging.

3. a groove or hole made by gouging.

4. 1. an act or instance of extorting or overcharging; a swindle.

   2. the amount of money extorted or overcharged.

      a gouge of $20 for shipping and delivery.

5. Geology.

   1. a layer of decomposed rocks or minerals found along the walls of a vein.

   2. fragments of rock that have accumulated between or along the walls of a fault.

verb (used with object)

gouged, gouging 

1. to scoop out or turn with or as if with a gouge.

   to gouge a channel; to gouge holes.

2. to dig or force out with or as if with a gouge.

   to gouge out an eye.

3. to make a gouge in.

   to gouge one's leg.

4. to extort from, overcharge, or swindle.

   drug companies that gouge consumers and the government.

verb (used without object)

gouged, gouging 

1. to engage in extortion, overcharging, or swindling.

   I bought a lot of my clothes there before they began gouging.

gouge

/ ɡaʊdʒ /

verb

1. (usually foll by out) to scoop or force (something) out of its position, esp with the fingers or a pointed instrument

2. (sometimes foll by out) to cut (a hole or groove) in (something) with a sharp instrument or tool

3. informal,  to extort from

4. (also intr) to dig for (opal)

noun

1. a type of chisel with a blade that has a concavo-convex section

2. a mark or groove made with, or as if with, a gouge

3. geology a fine deposit of rock fragments, esp clay, occurring between the walls of a fault or mineral vein

4. informal,  extortion; swindling

Other Word Forms

• gouger noun
• ungouged adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of gouge¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from French, from Late Latin gu(l)bia; compare Old Provençal goja, Spanish gubia; perhaps from Celtic; compare Old Irish gulba “sting,” Welsh gylf “beak,” Cornish gilb “borer”

Word History and Origins

Origin of gouge¹

C15: from French, from Late Latin gulbia a chisel, of Celtic origin

Example Sentences

Landlords in the area were gouging renters, Koerner said, and he briefly considered living in his car before one of his employees offered a La Crescenta space that had just become available.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Someone had gouged out the two S’s in a Cesar Chavez quote about “drawing the goodne...” out of students.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

One senior executive in the credit-reporting industry told Lansing that his company’s price hikes practices amount to price gouging.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The commerce ministry also has warned businesses against price gouging and set up a hotline for complaints.

Read more on Barron's

"These are consolidated markets gouging ranchers and gouging consumers at the store," said Austin Frerick, an agricultural and antitrust policy expert and a fellow at Yale University.

Read more on BBC