gaggle

gaggle
/gag"euhl/, v., gaggled, gaggling, n.
v.i.
1. to cackle.
n.
2. a flock of geese when not flying. Cf. skein.
3. an often noisy or disorderly group or gathering: a politician followed by a gaggle of supporters.
4. an assortment of related things.
[1350-1400; ME gagelen (v.), gagel (n.); of imit. orig.]

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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 — (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… …   Etymology dictionary

  • 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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