gargle

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɡɑɹɡəl/

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)ɡəl

Etymology 1

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Old French gargouiller (“to gargle”), from gargouille (“throat”). Compare gargoyle.

Verb

1. (intransitive) to clean one's mouth by holding water or some other liquid in the back of the mouth and blowing air out from the lungs
   • 1915, Willa Cather, The Song of the Lark:

     She hated the poisoned feeling in her throat, and no matter how often she gargled she felt unclean and disgusting.

2. (intransitive) to make a sound like the one made while gargling
3. (transitive) to clean a specific part of the body by gargling (almost always throat or mouth)
   • 1893, Gilbert Parker, Mrs. Falchion:

     They don't gargle their throats with anything stronger than coffee at this tavern.

4. (transitive) to use (a liquid) for purposes of cleaning one's mouth or throat by gargling.

   Every morning he gargled a little cheap Scotch.

Translations

to clean one's mouth

• Bulgarian: правя гаргара (pravja gargara)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 漱口 (zh) (shùkǒu), 漱 (zh) (shù)

• Czech: kloktat
• Dutch: gorgelen (nl)
• Finnish: kurlata
• French: se gargariser (fr)
• Georgian: ყელის გამოვლება (q̇elis gamovleba)
• German: gurgeln (de)
• Hungarian: gargarizál (hu)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: うがいをする (ja) (ugai o suru)
• Maori: whakararā
• Persian: غرغره کردن (ğerğere kardan)
• Portuguese: gargarejar (pt)
• Russian: полоска́ть (ru) impf (poloskátʹ), прополоска́ть (ru) pf (propoloskátʹ) (го́рло (górlo) "throat" OR рот (rot) "mouth")
• Slovak: kloktať
• Spanish: hacer gárgaras, gargarizar (es)
• Tagalog: magmumog
• Telugu: పుక్కిలించు (te) (pukkiliñcu)
• Thai: กลั้ว (th) (glûua)

to make such a sound

• Czech: kloktat
• Dutch: gorgelen (nl)
• Finnish: kurluttaa
• German: gurgeln (de)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hungarian: gargarizál (hu)
• Maori: whakararā
• Russian: издава́ть бу́лькающий звук (izdavátʹ búlʹkajuščij zvuk)

to clean a specific part of the body by gargling

• Finnish: kurlata
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

to use a liquid for purposes of gargling

• Finnish: kurlata (+ adessive)
• French: gargariser (fr), faire des gargarismes
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Maori: whakararā, whakararā rongoā

Noun

gargle (plural gargles)

1. a liquid used for gargling
   • 1861, Young's Demonstrative Translation of Scientific Secrets:

     Take of borax 1 drm., tinc. of myrrh 1/2 oz., clarified honey 1 oz., rose or distilled water, 4 oz.; mix. To be used as a gargle or mouth wash in sore mouth or affection of the gums.

2. the sound of gargling
3. (slang) lager, drink

Synonyms

• mouthwash

Derived terms

• gargle-factory

Translations

liquid

• Czech: kloktadlo (cs) n
• Dutch: gorgeldrank
• Finnish: kurlausneste
• French: gargarisme (fr) m
• German: Gurgellösung f, Gurgelwasser n
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Greek: γαργάρα (el) f (gargára)
• Maori: rongoā whakararā
• Persian: غرغره (fa) (ğerğere)
• Russian: жи́дкость для полоска́ния го́рла f (žídkostʹ dlja poloskánija górla)

sound

• Bulgarian: гаргара (bg) f (gargara)
• Finnish: kurlaus
• Greek: γαργάρα (el) f (gargára)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Persian: غرغره (fa) (ğerğere)
• Spanish: gárgara (es) f

Etymology 2

Noun

gargle (plural gargles)

1. Obsolete form of gargoyle.

Anagrams

• gregal, lagger, raggle