gag

noun

/ɡæɡ/

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a piece of cloth that is put over or in somebody’s mouth to stop them speaking
- They tied him up and put a gag on him.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
verb + gag
- put on
- remove
- take off
- …
See full entry
an order that prevents something from being publicly reported or discussed
- a press gag
- a gag rule/order (= one given by a court of law)
Topics Opinion and argumentc2
(informal) a joke or a funny story, especially one told by a professional comedian synonym joke
- to tell/crack a gag
- a running gag (= one that is regularly repeated during a performance)
Extra Examples
- a mixture of wit and instant visual gags
- a non-stop comedian, cracking gags by the dozen
- the movie's best gags
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- funny
- good
- great
- …
verb + gag
- crack
- tell
- write
- …
preposition
- gag about
See full entry
(especially North American English) a trick you play on somebody
- It was just a gag—we didn't mean to upset anyone.

Word Originnoun senses 1 to 2 Middle English: perhaps related to Old Norse gagháls ‘with the neck thrown back’, or imitative of a person choking. noun senses 3 to 4 mid 19th cent. (originally theatrical slang): of unknown origin.

gag

verb

/ɡæɡ/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they gag	/ɡæɡ/ /ɡæɡ/
he / she / it gags	/ɡæɡz/ /ɡæɡz/
past simple gagged	/ɡæɡd/ /ɡæɡd/
past participle gagged	/ɡæɡd/ /ɡæɡd/
-ing form gagging	/ˈɡæɡɪŋ/ /ˈɡæɡɪŋ/

Idioms

jump to other results

[transitive] gag somebody to put a piece of cloth in or over somebody’s mouth to prevent them from speaking or shouting
- The hostages were bound and gagged.
- The men left the security guards bound and gagged.
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
phrases
- bind and gag somebody
See full entry
[transitive] gag somebody/something to prevent somebody from speaking freely or expressing their opinion
- The new laws are seen as an attempt to gag the press.
see also gagging orderTopics Opinion and argumentc2
[intransitive] gag (on something) to have the unpleasant feeling in your mouth and stomach as if you are going to vomit synonym retch
- She gagged on the blood that filled her mouth.
- The stench of rotting meat made him gag.

Word Originverb Middle English: perhaps related to Old Norse gagháls ‘with the neck thrown back’, or imitative of a person choking.

Idioms

be gagging for something/to do something

(British English, slang) to want something or want to do something very much
- I’m gagging for another drink.
- Today’s top stars are no longer gagging to play for their country.

be gagging for it

(British English, slang) to want very much to have sex
- You could tell she was gagging for it.