gaffer

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See also: Gaffer

English

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Etymology 1

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From gaff (hook) +‎ -er.

  • (cinema): The natural lighting on early film sets was adjusted by opening and closing flaps in the tent cloths, called gaff cloths or gaff flaps.
  • (glass): (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

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Noun

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gaffer (plural gaffers)

  1. (film) A chief lighting technician for a motion-picture or television production.
  2. A glassblower.
    • 2003, Jennifer Bosveld, Glass Works, page 18:
      The apprentice carries a gather of glass on the blowpipe to the gaffer's bench []
  3. Someone aboard a boat whose duty is to gaff a (large) fish once the angler has reeled it in.
Derived terms
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Translations
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The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Etymology 2

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Likely a contraction of godfather, but with the vowels influenced by grandfather. Compare French compère, German Gevatter.

Noun

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gaffer (plural gaffers)

  1. (colloquial) An old man.
    • 1845, Thomas Cooper, The Purgatory of Suicides, Book the Fourth, Stanza IX:
      If thou return not, Gammer o'er her pail
      Will sing in sorrow, 'neath the brinded cow,
      And Gaffer sigh over his nut-brown ale []
  2. (UK, informal) The leader of a group or team, such as a boss, foreman, coach, or publican.
    • 2022, Liam McIlvanney, The Heretic, page 117:
      And you're here to tell me what's what. Just like your bloody gaffer promised.
  3. A sailor.
  4. (Canada) The baby in the house.
Synonyms
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Translations
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References

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Anagrams

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French

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Etymology

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From gaffe +‎ -er. Sense of gaffer-taping from English gaffer tape.

Pronunciation

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Verb

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gaffer

  1. to make a gaffe; to mess up; botch up
  2. to gaffer tape

Conjugation

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Noun

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gaffer m (plural gaffers)

  1. gaffer tape
    Alternative form: gaffeur

Further reading

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Norman

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Etymology

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(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

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Verb

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gaffer

  1. (Jersey) to grasp

Welsh

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Pronunciation

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Verb

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gaffer

  1. Soft mutation of caffer.

Mutation

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Welsh mutation
radical soft nasal aspirate
caffer gaffer nghaffer chaffer
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.