gaffle
/ˈɡæfl̩/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English
13
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
1
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A portable fork of iron or wood in which the heavy musket formerly in use was rested that it might be accurately aimed and fired.
noun
a fork in an orienteering race.
verb
to include a gaffle in an orienteering race.
verb
To get hold of, to find.
Example Sentences
- "These birds, having been some time previous bereft of the weapons nature designed for their defence, are now fornished with gaffles, or artificial spurs, each of which is a polished steel blade , about three inches in length, half an inch wide at the base, curved slightly upwards, sharp at the point and on the upper edge, and firmly fastened to the leg by means of a clasp."
- "One sits with a harp at his lord's feet; another tames the wild hawk and trains him, teaches him with his little gaffles till the Welsh bird becomes docile."
- "Conkling and Me Too Platt, by putting the gaffles into President Garfield, ruptured the Republican party from narrative to neckband, and the Democrats won in a walk."
- "Now, sword or dagger, human arms are but artifical claws and fangs, tied on like false spurs to the fighting cock. So, we repeat, Oberlus, czar of the isle, gaffles his four subjects; that is, with intent of glory, puts four rusty cutlasses into their hands."
- "Blood doth not follow the law of the mountain stream, by getting more muddy as it descends; neither are men and women of the nature of the gaffled cocks we use to fight at the mains on the Inch of Perth, which send down their fighting propensities to the tenth gallinaccous generation."
- "He earned my contempt by carrying a pistol and drawing it on Senator Benton (known to be unarmed) in the Chamber, like a gaffled fowl in a cock-pit waiting provocation."
Etymology
From Middle English gaffolle, a borrowing from Middle Dutch gaffel, gafel (“fork”), ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *gabulu (“fork”), related to Old English gafol, ġeafel (“fork”).
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: gaffolle, gaffel, *gabulu
Usage
Subject
Wiktionary places this term in Law.