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Added 7 October 2026

gag

/ɡæɡ/ noun

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about gag at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter.
he told a very funny joke
Restraint put into a person's mouth to prevent speaking or shouting.

verb

Prevent from speaking out.
The press was gagged
Be too tight; rub or press.
This neckband is choking the cat
Tie a gag around someone's mouth in order to silence them.
The burglars gagged the home owner and tied him to a chair

Origin

The noun is from Early Modern English gagge; the verb is from Middle English gaggen. Possibly imitative or perhaps related to or influenced by Old Norse gag-háls ("with head thrown backwards"; > Norwegian dialectal gaga (“bent backwards”)). The intransitive sense "to retch" is from 1707. The noun is from the 16th century, figurative use (for "repression of speech") from the 1620s. The secondary meaning "(practical) joke" is from 1863, of unclear origin.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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