GAULT, gawlt, _n._ a series of beds of clay and marl, between the Upper and the Lower Greensand: brick earth--also GALT.--_n._ GAULT'ER, one who digs gault.
GAULTHERIA, gal-t[=e]'ri-a, _n._ a genus of evergreen aromatic plants--one species, the U.S. _winter-green_, yielding a valued volatile oil. [From the Canadian botanist M. _Gaultier_.]
GAUM, gawm, _v.t._ to smear: (_obs._) to handle clumsily.--_adj._ GAUM'Y, dauby.
GAUN, gan, Scotch for going.
GAUNT, gant, _adj._ thin: of a pinched appearance: causing emaciation.--_adv._ GAUNT'LY.--_n._ GAUNT'NESS. [Skeat compares Norw.
_gand_, pointed stick, and Sw. prov. _gank_, a lean horse.]
GAUNTLET, gant'let, _n._ the iron glove of armour, formerly thrown down in challenge: a long glove covering the wrist.--_p.adj._ GAUNT'LETED, wearing a gauntlet or gauntlets.--_n._ GAUNT'LET-GUARD, a guard of a sword or dagger, protecting the hand very thoroughly.--RUN THE GAUNTLET (see GANTLET).--THROW DOWN, TAKE UP, THE GAUNTLET, to give, to accept a challenge. [Fr. _gantelet_, double dim. of _gant_, a glove, of Scand.
origin; cf. Old Sw. _vante_, a glove, Ice. _vottr_, a glove, Dan. _vante_.]
GAUNTRY. See GANTRY.
GAUP, GAWP, gawp, _v.i._ (prov.) to gape in astonishment.--_ns._ GAUP'US, GAWP'US, a silly person.
GAUR, gowr, _n._ a species of ox inhabiting some of the mountain jungles of India. [Hindustani.]
GAUZE, gawz, _n._ a thin, transparent fabric, originally of silk, now of any fine hard-spun fibre: material slight and open like gauze.--_adj._ GAUZE'-WINGED, having gauzy wings.--_n._ GAUZ'INESS.--_adj._ GAUZ'Y.--_n._ WIRE'-GAUZE (see WIRE). [Fr. _gaze_, dubiously referred to _Gaza_ in Palestine.]
GAVAGE, ga-vazh', _n._ a process of fattening poultry by forcing them to swallow food at fixed intervals: (_med._) a similar method of forced feeding. [Fr. _gaver_--_gave_, the crop of a bird.]
GAVE, g[=a]v, _pa.t._ of _give_.
GAVEL, g[=a]'vel, a prov. form of _gable_.
GAVEL, gav'el, _n._ an old Saxon and Welsh form of tenure by which an estate passed, on the holder's death, to all the sons equally.--_v.t._ to divide or distribute in this way.--_ns._ GAV'ELKIND, a tenure now peculiar to Kent by which the tenant at fifteen can sell the estate or devise it by will, the estate cannot escheat, and on an intestacy the lands descend from the father to all sons in equal portions; GAV'ELMAN, a tenant holding land in gavelkind. [A.S. _gafol_, tribute; cog. with _giefan_, to give.]
GAVIAL, g[=a]'vi-al, _n._ the East Indian species of crocodile, with very long slender muzzle. [Adapted from Hindustani _ghariy[=a]l_, a crocodile.]
GAVOTTE, ga-vot', n. a lively kind of dance, somewhat like a country-dance, originally a dance of the _Gavotes_, the people of Gap, in the Upper Alps: the music for such a dance.
GAWD, gawd, _n._ (_Shak._). Same as GAUD.
GAWK, gawk, _adj._ left, as in _gawk-handed_.--_ns._ GAWK'IHOOD, GAWK'INESS, quality of being gawky.--_adj._ GAWK'Y, awkward, stupid, ungainly.--_n._ a lout. [Prob. a contr. of _gaulick_-, _galloc_-, _gallish_-(_handed_); most prob. not related to Fr. _gauche_.]
GAY, g[=a], _adj._ lively: bright: sportive, merry: wanton, dissipated, of loose life: showy: (_prov._) spotted.--adv. (_Scot._) fairly, considerably.--_ns._ GAI'ETY, GAY'ETY, GAY'NESS.--_advs._ GAI'LY, GAY'LY; GAY'SOME, gladsome.--GAY SCIENCE, a rendering of _gai saber_, the Provencal name for the art of poetry. [O. Fr. _gai_--Old High Ger. _wahi_, pretty, not _gahi_, swift (Diez).]
GAYAL, GYAL, g[=i]'al, _n._ a kind of East Indian ox, long domesticated, dark brown in colour, with short curved horns. [Hindi.]
GAY-YOU, g[=i]'-[=u], _n._ a narrow, flat-bottomed fishing-boat, of two or three masts, used in Annam.
GAZE, g[=a]z, _v.i_, to look fixedly.--_n._ a fixed look: the object gazed at--(_Spens._) GAZE'MENT.--_adj._ GAZE'FUL (_Spens._), looking intently.--_ns._ GAZE'-HOUND, a hound that pursues by sight rather than scent; GAZ'ER, one who gazes; GAZ'ING-STOCK, a person exposed to public view, generally in a bad sense.--AT GAZE, in the attitude of gazing. [Prob.
cog. with obs. _gaw_, to stare, Ice. _ga_, to heed. Some compare the Sw.
_gasa_, to stare.]
GAZEBO, g[=a]-z[=e]'b[=o], _n._ a summer-house with a wide prospect.
[Humorously formed from _gaze_.]
GAZEL, gaz'el, _n._ a form of GHAZAL (q.v.).
GAZELLE, GAZEL, ga-zel', _n._ a small species of antelope with beautiful dark eyes, found in Arabia and North Africa. [Fr.,--Ar. _ghaz[=a]l_, a wild-goat.]
GAZETTE, ga-zet', _n._ a newspaper: one of the three official newspapers of the United Kingdom, published in Edinburgh, London, and Dublin, with record of every appointment in the public service.--_v.t._ to publish in a gazette:--_pr.p._ gazett'ing; _pa.p._ gazett'ed.--_n._ GAZETTEER', a geographical dictionary: (_orig._) a writer for a gazette, official journalist.--_v.t._ to describe in gazetteers.--_adj._ GAZETTEE'RISH, like a gazetteer in style.--APPEAR, HAVE ONE'S NAME, IN THE GAZETTE, to be mentioned in one of the three official newspapers, esp. of bankrupts.
[Fr.,--It. _gazzetta_, a small coin; or from It. _gazzetta_, in the sense of a magpie=a chatterer.]
GAZOGENE, gaz'o-j[=e]n, _n._ an instrument for manufacturing aerated waters, usually for domestic use, by the action of an acid on an alkali carbonate. [Fr., _gaz_, gas, Gr. _gen[=e]s_--_gignesthai_, to become.]
GAZON, ga-zon', _n._ a sod or piece of turf, used in fortification.--_n._ GAZOON', used erroneously by Hogg for a compact body of men. [Fr., _grass_.]
GAZY, g[=a]'zi, _adj._ affording a wide prospect: given to gazing.
GEACH, g[=e]ch, _n._ (_slang_) a thief.--_v.t._ to steal.
GEAL, j[=e]'al, adj. pertaining to the earth regarded as a planet. [Gr.
_g[=e]_, earth.]
GEAL, j[=e]l, _v.i._ to congeal.
GEAN, g[=e]n, _n._ the European wild cherry. [O. Fr. _guigne_.]
GEAR, g[=e]r, _n._ a state of preparation: dress: harness: tackle: (_mech._) connection by means of toothed wheels: (_obs._) a matter, affair.--_v.t._ to put in gear, as machinery.--_p.adj._ GEARED, connected with the motor by gearing.--_ns._ GEAR'ING, harness: working implements: (_mech._) a train of toothed wheels and pinions; GEAR'-WHEEL, a wheel with teeth or cogs which impart or transmit motion by acting on those of another wheel; DRIV'ING-GEAR, those parts in a machine most nearly concerned in imparting motion.--MULTIPLYING GEARING, a combination of cog-wheels for imparting motion from wheels of larger to wheels of smaller diameter, by which the rate of revolution is increased; OUT OF GEAR, out of running order, unprepared; STRAIGHT GEARING, the name given when the planes of motion are parallel--opposed to _Bevelled gearing_, when the direction is changed (see BEVEL). [M. E. _gere_, prob. Ice. _gervi_; cf. A.S. _gearwe_, Old High Ger. _garawi_, Eng. _yare_ and _gar_, v.]
GEASON, g[=e]'zn, _adj._ (_Spens._) rare: wonderful. [A.S. _g['ae]sne_, _gesne_, wanting, barren.]
GEAT, j[=e]t, _n._ the hole in a mould through which the metal is poured in casting.
GEBBIE, geb'i, _n._ (_Scot._) the stomach.
GEBUR, ge-b[=oo]r', _n._ a tenant-farmer in the early English community.
GECK, gek, _n._ a dupe: scorn, object of scorn.--_v.t._ to mock.--_v.i._ to scoff at. [Prob. Low Ger. _geck_; Dut. _gek_, Ger. _geck_.]
GECKO, gek'[=o], _n._ one of a family of small dull-coloured lizards called _Geckotidae_. [Malay _g[=e]koq_.]
GED, ged, _n._ (_prov._) the pike or luce. [Ice. _gedda_.]
GEE, g[=e], _n._ (_prov._) a fit of ill-temper, usually in phrase 'to take the gee.'
GEE, j[=e], _v.i._ of horses, to move to the offside--the right, the driver standing on the left.--_v.t._ to cause so to move.--_v.i._ to go, to suit, get on well.--_n._ GEE-GEE, a horse.--GEE UP, to proceed faster.
GEESE, _pl._ of _goose_.
GEeZ, g[=e]-ez', GIZ, g[=e]z, _n._ the ancient language of Ethiopia, a Semitic tongue closely related to Arabic.
GEGG, geg, _n._ (_Scot._) a hoax, trick.--_v.t._ to hoax.--_n._ GEG'GERY, trickery.