gouge

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Contents

[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

Noun from Old French gouge, itself from Late Latin gulbia (“‘piercer’”), from Gaulish (compare Scottish Gaelic gilb (“‘chisel’”), Welsh gylyf (“‘sickle’”)), from *gulbi 'beak' (compare Old Irish gulba, Welsh gylf, Old Breton golb).

[edit] Pronunciation

[edit] Noun

Singular
gouge

Plural
gouges

gouge (plural gouges)

  1. A cut or groove, as left by something sharp.
    The nail left a deep gouge in the tire.
  2. A chisel, with a curved blade, for scooping or cutting holes, channels, or grooves, in wood, stone, etc.
    • 1823, James Fenimore Cooper, The Pioneers, ch. 8,
      The "steeple" was a little cupola, reared on the very centre of the roof, on four tall pillars of pine that were fluted with a gouge, and loaded with mouldings.

[edit] Translations

cut or groove
chisel for scooping

[edit] References

  • “gouge” in the Online Etymology Dictionary, Douglas Harper, 2001

[edit] Verb

Infinitive
to gouge

Third person singular
gouges

Simple past
gouged

Past participle
gouged

Present participle
gouging

to gouge (third-person singular simple present gouges, present participle gouging, simple past and past participle gouged)

  1. (transitive) To make a mark or hole by scooping.
    Japanese and Chinese printers used to gouge characters in wood.
  2. (transitive or intransitive) To push, or try to push the eye (of a person) out of its socket.
  3. (transitive) To charge an unreasonably or unfairly high price.
    They have no competition, so they tend to gouge their customers.

[edit] Translations

make a mark by scooping
to push the eye out
charge an unfairly high price

[edit] Synonyms

[edit] Derived terms

[edit] Related terms

[edit] French

[edit] Etymology

Latin gulbia (Late Latin gubia), of Gaulish or Basque origins.

[edit] Pronunciation

[edit] Noun

gouge f. (plural gouges)

  1. A gouge (1).
  2. A tool with a curved blade for cutting leather.
  3. (obsolete) A female servant.
  4. (archaic) A prostitute.
    • 1857, Charles Baudelaire, Bribes - Damnation,
      On peut les comparer encore à cette auberge, / Espoir des affamés, où cognent sur le tard, / Blessés, brisés, jurant, priant qu’on les héberge, / L’écolier, le prélat, la gouge et le soudard.
      They can also be compared to this inn, / Hope to the starved, where in the night knock, / Injured, broken, cursing, begging to be lodged, / The schoolboy, the prelate, the prostitute and the soldier.

[edit] Verb

gouge

  1. First- and third-person singular indicative present of gouger.
  2. First- and third-person singular subjunctive present of gouger.
  3. Ordinary second-person singular imperative present of gouger.
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