Gaff Definition & Meaning

American

British

Idioms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms gaff 1 American [gaf] / gæf /

noun

1. an iron hook with a handle for landing large fish.

2. the spur on a climbing iron, especially as used by telephone linemen.

3. Nautical. a spar rising aft from a mast to support the head of a quadrilateral fore-and-aft sail gaff sail, orgaff-headed sail.

4. a metal spur for a gamecock.

verb (used with object)

1. to hook or land (a fish) with a gaff.

gaff 2 American [gaf] / gæf /

noun

Slang.

1. harsh treatment or criticism (usually used in the phrasestand/take the gaff ).

   All the gaff he took never made him bitter.

   You shouldn't be in show biz if you can't stand the gaff.

gaff 3 American [gaf] / gæf /

verb (used with object)

1. Slang. to cheat; fleece.

verb (used without object)

1. British Slang. to gamble, especially to indulge in petty gambling, as to toss coins.

gaff 1 British / ɡæf /

noun

1. angling a stiff pole with a stout prong or hook attached for landing large fish

2. nautical a boom hoisted aft of a mast to support a gaffsail

3. a metal spur fixed to the leg of a gamecock

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

1. angling to hook or land (a fish) with a gaff

2. slang to cheat; hoax

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 gaff 2 British / ɡæf /

noun

1. slang foolish talk; nonsense

2. slang to divulge a secret

3. slang to endure ridicule, difficulties, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 gaff 3 British / ɡæf /

noun

1. a person's home, esp a flat

2. Also called: penny-gaff. a cheap or low-class place of entertainment, esp a cheap theatre or music hall in Victorian England

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 gaff Idioms

1. see stand the gaff.

Etymology

Origin of gaff1

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English, from Middle French gaffe, gaff, from Provençal gaf “hook, gaff,” noun derivative of gafar “to seize” (compare Medieval Latin gaffare ), probably from unattested Germanic (Visigothic) gaff-, perhaps derivative from base of Gothic giban “to give”; give

Origin of gaff2

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900; of uncertain origin; compare earlier British use, “nonsense, humbug,” Scots dialect, “loud laugh, guffaw”; guff

Origin of gaff3

First recorded in 1745–55; origin uncertain

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

We even left in “mistakes” — continuity errors, audio gaffs — using camera angles that may not feel as polished as other comedy specials.

From Los Angeles Times

Ito rushed in with the gaff, helping to clear his way through the crowd.

From Los Angeles Times

“We use nets now, but we use a gaff all the time.”

From Literature

Queers are searching for something often overlooked: binders, gaffs, lingerie for trans women, boxer briefs for nonbinary folks; designs that have simply never existed in the universe of McCall’s or Simplicity patterns.

From The Verge

That was another base-running gaff for Robles, who has been caught stealing three times this season and was thrown out last month when trying to stretch a double into a triple.

From Washington Times

Related Words

• blunder
• breach
• crime
• error
• failing
• failure
• fault
• indiscretion
• miscue
• negligence
• offense
• omission
• oversight
• sin
• transgression
• violation

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.