Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

gaffer

/ɡæfɚ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.57 in modern English

Syllables
gaffer
IPA
/ɡæfɚ/
13
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
1
Syllables
5
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A chief lighting technician for a motion-picture or television production.

noun

A glassblower.

noun

Someone aboard a boat whose duty is to gaff a (large) fish once the angler has reeled it in.

noun

An old person, usually a man.

Colloquial

noun

The leader of a group or team, such as a boss, foreman, coach, or publican.

British usage; Informal

noun

A sailor.

noun

The baby in the house.

Canadian usage

name

A surname.

Example Sentences

Etymology

From gaff (“hook”) + -er. * (cinema): The natural lighting on early film sets was adjusted by opening and closing flaps in the tent cloths, called gaff cloths or gaff flaps. * (glass)

Origin

Word Breakdown

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ɡæfɚ/
  • British English: /ɡæfə/

Usage

Inflected Forms

gaffers (plural)

Phrases

gaffer grip gaffer tape

Frequently Paired Words

gammer

Synonyms

foreman chief honcho boss old-timer oldtimer old geezer antique

Rhymes With

kaffir kafir laugher chaffer zaffre zaffer

Questions

How do you pronounce gaffer?
The recorded pronunciation is /ɡæfɚ/.
What does gaffer mean?
A chief lighting technician for a motion-picture or television production.
Where does gaffer come from?
It is traced to Old English.

How to pronounce gaffer

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “gaffer”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ɡæfɚ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “gaffer”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “gaffer” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.