Definition of GOUGE

gouge

Plural: gouges

Noun

  • an impression in a surface (as made by a blow)
  • and edge tool with a blade like a trough for cutting channels or grooves
  • the act of gouging
  • Senses relating to cutting tools.
  • A chisel with a curved blade for cutting or scooping channels, grooves, or holes in wood, stone, etc.
  • Senses relating to cutting tools.
  • A bookbinder's tool with a curved face, used for blind tooling or gilding.
  • Senses relating to cutting tools.
  • An incising tool that cuts blanks or forms for envelopes, gloves, etc., from leather, paper, or other materials.
  • A cut or groove, as left by a gouge or something sharp.
  • An act of gouging.
  • A cheat, a fraud; an imposition.
  • An impostor.
  • Soft material lying between the wall of a vein and the solid vein of ore.
  • Information.

Verb

Verb Forms: gouged, gouging, gouges

  • To cut or scoop out with a sharp tool.
  • force with the thumb
    • "gouge out his eyes"
  • obtain by coercion or intimidation
  • make a groove in
  • To make a groove, hole, or mark in by scooping with or as if with a gouge.
  • To cheat or impose upon; in particular, to charge an unfairly or unreasonably high price.
  • To dig or scoop (something) out with or as if with a gouge; in particular, to use a thumb to push or try to push the eye (of a person) out of its socket.
  • To use a gouge.

Examples

  • He tried to GOUGE out a path for a long word, but his opponent blocked him.
  • Japanese and Chinese printers used to gouge characters in wood.
  • The company has no competition, so it tends to gouge its customers.
  • The nail left a deep gouge in the tire.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English gouge (“chisel with concave blade; gouge”), from Old French gouge, goi (“gouge”), from Late Latin goia, gubia, gulbia (“chisel; piercer”), borrowed from Gaulish *gulbiā, from Proto-Celtic *gulbā, *gulbi, *gulbīnos (“beak, bill”). The English word is cognate with Italian gorbia, gubbia (“ferrule”), Old Breton golb, Old Irish gulba (“beak”), Portuguese goiva, Scottish Gaelic gilb (“chisel”), Spanish gubia (“chisel, gouge”), Welsh gylf (“beak; pointed instrument”), gylyf (“sickle”).
The verb is derived from the noun.

Scrabble Score: 7

gouge: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
gouge: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
gouge: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 10

gouge: valid Words With Friends Word