gag1 verbgag2 noun
gaggag1 /ɡæɡ/ verb (past tense and past participle gagged, present participle gagging) 
WORD ORIGINgag1
Origin:
1400-1500 Probably from the sound of someone being prevented from breathingVERB TABLE
gag
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | gag |
| he, she, it | gags | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | gagged |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have gagged |
| he, she, it | has gagged | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had gagged |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will gag |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have gagged |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am gagging |
| he, she, it | is gagging | |
| you, we, they | are gagging | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was gagging |
| you, we, they | were gagging | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been gagging |
| he, she, it | has been gagging | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been gagging |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be gagging |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been gagging |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- I could hardly eat the fish without gagging.
- I heard him gagging and coughing.
- Janir took a sip of the medicine and gagged at the vile taste.
- Joe gagged on his first cigarette, red-faced and choking.
- The government has once again used concerns about "National Security' as an excuse to gag the press.
- The mayor was accused of trying to gag the media.
- The price of these tickets is enough to make anyone gag.
- The prime minister has been accused of attempting to gag members of his government who do not agree with his policies.
- He half expected to see some naked tourist in the corner, bound and gagged.
- He tried to swallow but gagged.
- He wailed and gagged as people walked by.
- Of course there are laws and restrictions to gag over, but the record holds no particular shame.
- Talk about gagging on your Goobers.
- The forest opened into a large clearing and she gagged as she saw the slaughter within.
- They shouldered their paddles and again laughed, though this time the laughter was muted, gagged by the just-offshore wind.
- Time allowed 00:16 Read in studio Masked raiders have bound and gagged a shop manager before escaping with two thousand pounds cash.
Longman Language Activatorto vomit
also be sick British bring food or drink up from your stomach out through your mouth because you are ill, drunk, shocked etc: · Keith's had a particularly nasty form of the illness - he's even been throwing up with it.· One of my worst memories is of being sick in school assembly.· Just thinking about it makes me want to throw up.· The dog's been sick all over the carpet.throw something up: · I tried giving him some cool, boiled water, but he even threw that up.
to bring food or drink up from your stomach out through your mouth - used especially in medical contexts: · If she starts vomiting, contact the doctor immediately.
/barf American informal to bring food or drink up from your stomach out through your mouth because you are ill, drunk etc: · It smells like someone puked in here.· I could barely stand up without barfing.
to bring food or drink up from your stomach out through your mouth, especially just after eating or drinking: bring up something: · It is quite normal for your baby to bring up some milk after feeding.bring something/it up: · 'Did you try giving him steamed fish?' 'Yes, but he brought it all up again.'
if birds or animals regurgitate something they have just eaten, they bring it up through their mouth, for example in order to feed it to their young: · The chicks will feed on the partially-digested food regurgitated by the parent.
if you retch or heave , your stomach muscles move in an uncontrollable way as though you are going to vomit: · He was doubled over in pain, gasping and retching as if his insides were on fire.· The stench from the bed was enough to make Detective Saunders heave.
if you gag , your throat moves as though you are going to vomit, especially because you have tasted or smelled something very unpleasant: · I could hardly eat the fish without gagging.gag at/on: · Janir took a sip of the medicine and gagged at the vile taste.· Joe gagged on his first cigarette, red-faced and choking.
to stop people from expressing their opinions to prevent someone from expressing their opinions or telling people something that you want kept secret: · The Mafia uses threats of physical violence or death to silence any opposition.· Opponents of the regime are quickly silenced.
to prevent someone such as a politician or news reporter from publicly expressing their opinions, information, or ideas: · Democracy activists have been effectively muzzled by these tough new laws.muzzle the press/media: · Attempts to muzzle the country's media have failed.
to use your authority unfairly to prevent someone from telling people something or expressing their opinions - used especially in newspapers: · The government has once again used concerns about "National Security' as an excuse to gag the press.· The prime minister has been accused of attempting to gag members of his government who do not agree with his policies.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY
He left his victim bound and gagged (=tied up and with something over their mouth that stops them speaking).COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1[intransitive] to be unable to swallow and feel as if you are about to bring up food from your stomach: He left his victim bound and gagged (=tied up and with something over their mouth that stops them speaking). (=tied up, and with cloth tied around your mouth so you cannot speak)
The foul smell made her gag.gag on He almost gagged on his first mouthful of food.2[transitive] to put a piece of cloth over someone’s mouth to stop them making a noise: Thugs gagged her and tied her to a chair. He left his victim bound and gagged (=tied up and with something over their mouth that stops them speaking).3[transitive] to stop people saying what they want to say and expressing their opinions: an attempt to gag political activists → gag order, gag rule4be gagging to do something/be gagging for something British English informal to be very eager to do or have something: They were gagging to sign the contract.5be gagging for it British English informal to be very eager to have sexgag1 verbgag2 noun
gaggag2 noun [countable] EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- He started the show with a few old gags about mothers-in-law.
- He wrote gags for the Jack Benny show.
- His first job was writing gags for a famous comedian.
- Cattelan's work is a see-once-then-forget-it gag.
- Even Fergie got a mention in a spurious gag about how he and the Royal got together.
- In the midst of them, a gag tied tightly about her mouth, was a woman.
- Some first-time eaters may become alarmed as this happens, thinking they have somehow become the victim of a time-lapse photography gag.
- The playwright pounces upon the gags like a poodle going after the petits fours.
THESAURUS
a funny story that you tell people to make them laugh: · We all sat around telling jokes.· Have you heard the joke about the man who found a frog in his soup?
a short story that someone tells to make people laugh: · He was one of those guys who are good at telling funny stories at dinner parties.
a short joke, especially one told by a professional entertainer: · He’s a great comedian, with plenty of good gags.
a very short joke or funny remark: · There are some memorable one-liners in the film.
a funny remark or reply, especially one that is said in a very quick and clever way: · It’s a comic masterpiece, packed with classic wisecracks.
(also play on words) a joke made by mixing up two different meanings of the same word, or two words with the same sound: · a pun on the words ‘bear’ and ‘bare’· The title of the book is a witty play on words.· Shakespeare used a lot of puns for comic effect.
written something funny and clever that someone says: · He made some friendly quip about hair loss, and everyone laughed.
Longman Language Activatorsomething you say or write in order to be funny · Have you heard any good jokes lately?· Wilson spoke for about 15 minutes, peppering his mainly serious message with jokes.joke about · Leno opened the show with a joke about the election.get the jokealso see a joke British (=understand a joke) · It wasn't that I didn't get the joke - I just didn't think it was funny.· Everyone laughed except Mr Broadbent, who didn't see the joke.tell a joke · It's a good idea to start a speech by telling a joke.dirty joke (=one about sex) · In some situations, a dirty joke can be considered sexual harassment.private joke (=a secret joke) · The two girls were whispering in the corner and giggling over some private joke.
a short story you tell to make people laugh: · It reminded her of a funny story she'd heard at work.tell a funny story: · He began telling funny stories about the time he worked as a barman on a cruise ship.
informal something funny that someone says to try to make people laugh - use this especially when what they say annoys you: · Bob Hope would keep his audience laughing with an endless stream of jokes and wisecracks.· Amy responded with a wisecrack that got her in big trouble with the teacher.
a short remark that is funny and clever: · There are some memorable one-liners in every Woody Allen film.· It's a hilarious scene with a succession of brilliant one-liners from Groucho Marx.
a short joke, especially one told by a professional entertainer as part of a show: · His first job was writing gags for a famous comedian.gag about: · He started the show with a few old gags about mothers-in-law.
the sentence or phrase that comes at the end of a joke, and makes it funny: · He got to the end of the joke and couldn't remember the punch line.· I waited for the punch line, but it never came.
spoken say this when you are going to tell someone a joke about a particular subject: · Have you heard the one about the brown cow who goes into a bar?
a joke made by deliberately mixing up or mistaking two different meanings of the same word or two words with the same sound: · "Seven days without food makes one weak'' is a pun on the words "week'' and "weak'', and also on the different meanings of "one''.· The audience groaned at his pun.(if you'll) pardon the pun (=used to say that you know what you are going to say has two meanings): · "Pardon the pun, but we were all in the same boat," said Navy Lieutenant Green.
a joke made by deliberately using a word or phrase that has two possible meanings, one of which is about sex or sexual parts of the body: · Dirty jokes and double meanings are what makes the show funny.· The song's lyrics are full of double entendres.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY It was a bit of a running gag (=a joke which is repeated) in the show.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1informal a joke or funny story: It was a bit of a running gag (=a joke which is repeated) in the show. (=tied up, and with cloth tied around your mouth so you cannot speak)
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· I remember good learning and running gags and reasonable ambition.· She didn't mind the running gag but argued that a programme director should remain anonymous.· And let's face it, as a running gag, it really wasn't up to much.
He told a few gags. It was a bit of a running gag (=a joke which is repeated) in the show.2a piece of cloth put over someone’s mouth to stop them making a noise