Gag Meaning
/ˈɡæɡ/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA device to restrain speech, such as a rag in the mouth secured with tape or a rubber ball threaded onto a cord or strap.
nounAn order or rule forbidding discussion of a case or subject.
Sentence Examples
Shall we pull a gag?
The bandits put a gag in his mouth.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The comedian told a funny ____ that made everyone laugh.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The kidnappers used a cloth ____ to prevent the victim from calling out for help to anyone nearby.
Word Origin & History
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.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Blood may seep to the back of the throat and may clot, producing an “artificial gag” of clotted blood."
— 2014, Anil Aggrawal, APC Essentials of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, page 298:
"Civil Court blocks PM's gag on free speech"
— 2021 August 6, Online Reporters, “Civil Court blocks PM's gag on free speech”, in Bangkok Post, retrieved 06 Aug 2021:
"We all know how genius “Kamp Krusty,” “A Streetcar Named Marge,” “Homer The Heretic,” “Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie” and “Mr. Plow” are, but even the relatively unheralded episodes offer wall-to-wall laughs and some of the smartest, darkest, and weirdest gags ever Trojan-horsed into a network cartoon with a massive family audience."
— 2012 May 20, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “Marge Gets A Job” (season 4, episode 7; originally aired 11/05/1992)”, in The Onion AV Club:
"On Hacksaw Ridge, Oliver and his team of effects artisans devised gags for that spectacular flamethrower shot along with other devastating body and bullet hits, and several mortar and full-scale explosions, all aimed at communicating the reality of battle."
— 2016 November 3, Ian Failes, “How the King of Practical Effects Conquered ‘Hacksaw Ridge’”, in Inverse:
"L. has recorded the repugnance of the school to gags, or the fat of fresh beef boiled, and sets it down to some superstition."
— 2008, Charles Lamb, Percy Fitzgerald, The Life, Letters, and Writings of Charles Lamb - Volume 3, page 153:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The comedian told a funny ____ that made everyone laugh.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The kidnappers used a cloth ____ to prevent the victim from calling out for help to anyone nearby.