Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

gaw

/ɡɔ/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.13 in modern English

Syllables: gaw
IPA: /ɡɔ/

7

Scrabble Score

3

Letters

1

Syllables

3

Unique Chars

Meaning

name

A surname from Scottish Gaelic.

verb

To gape or stare.

Obsolete

intj

An expletive expressing disbelief, disdain, or horror

Example Sentences

""Gaw!" he whispered, "I don' like dead bodies some'ow! I'd almost rather that chap was alive.""

Etymology

From Scottish Gaelic gall (“foreigner or stranger”), meaning: * (Ireland) a person from Wales or England who immigrated after the Norman invasion, or * (Scotland) a person from Scandinavia or the English-speaking lowlands.

Origin

Source language: Scottish Gaelic

Word Breakdown

Root: gall, gowen, gá

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ɡɔ/
British English: /ɡɔː/

Usage

Obsolete

Inflected Forms

gaws (present, singular) gawing (participle, present) gawed (participle, past) gawed (past)

Derived Forms

gawk

Synonyms

fiddlesticks get out of town pull the other one gorblimey Jeebus Jiminy Cricket 'sblood feh pfaugh pshaw pooh

Rhymes With

law in-law saw draw aw shaw withdraw straw jaw flaw claw paw

Questions

How do you pronounce gaw?: The recorded pronunciation is /ɡɔ/.
What does gaw mean?: A surname from Scottish Gaelic.
Where does gaw come from?: It is traced to Scottish Gaelic.

How to pronounce gaw

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