gaggle

gaggle
gaggle (n.) late 15c., gagyll, with reference to both geese and women. Barnhart says possibly from O.N. gagl "small goose, gosling, bird;" OED calls it "one of the many artificial terms invented in the 15th c. as distinctive collectives referring to particular animals or classes of persons." Possibly of imitative origin (Cf. Du. gagelen "to chatter;" M.E. gaggle "to cackle," used of geese, attested from late 14c.).

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  • Gaggle — Gag gle, n. [Cf. {Gaggle} v. i.] 1. (Zo[ o]l.) A flock of wild geese, especially when on the ground. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell. [1913 Webster] 2. Hence: A gathering of people, especially a noisy one. [PJC] 3. Hence: Any clustered group of related… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Gaggle — Gag gle (g[a^]g g l), v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Gaggled}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Gaggling}.] [Of imitative origin; cf. D. gaggelen, gagelen, G. gackeln, gackern, MHG. g[=a]gen, E. giggle, cackle.] To make a noise like a goose; to cackle. Bacon. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • gaggle — ► NOUN 1) a flock of geese. 2) informal a disorderly group of people. ORIGIN imitative of the noise that a goose makes …   English terms dictionary

  • gaggle — [gag′əl] n. [ME gagel < gagelen, to cackle: orig. echoic] 1. a flock of geese 2. any group or cluster …   English World dictionary

  • Gaggle — A gaggle is a term of venery for a flock of geese that isn t in flight; in flight, the group can be called a skein. In terms of geese, a gaggle is equal to at least five geese. In terms of salt, a gaggle is equal to eight fifty pound bags of salt …   Wikipedia

  • gaggle — gag|gle [ˈgægəl] n [Date: 1300 1400; Origin: gaggle to make the sound of geese, to talk noisily (14 19 centuries), from the sound] 1.) a gaggle of tourists/children etc a noisy group of people ▪ a gaggle of teenage girls 2.) a gaggle of geese a… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • gaggle — UK [ˈɡæɡ(ə)l] / US noun [countable] Word forms gaggle : singular gaggle plural gaggles 1) informal a group of people, especially a noisy and uncontrolled group a gaggle of children in the park 2) a group of geese a noisy gaggle of geese …   English dictionary

  • gaggle — noun 1 a gaggle of tourists/children etc a noisy group of people: a gaggle of teenage girls 2 a gaggle of geese a number of geese (goose1 (1)) together …   Longman dictionary of contemporary English

  • gaggle — noun Etymology: Middle English gagyll, from gagelen to cackle Date: 15th century 1. flock; especially a flock of geese when not in flight compare skein 2. a group, aggregation, or cluster lacking organization < a gaggle of reporters and… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • gaggle — gag|gle [ gægl ] noun count 1. ) a group of GEESE: a noisy gaggle of geese 2. ) INFORMAL a group of people, especially a noisy and uncontrolled group: a gaggle of children in the park …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

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