gags

Noun

gag (countable and uncountable, plural gags)

1. A device to restrain speech, such as a rag in the mouth secured with tape or a rubber ball threaded onto a cord or strap.
   • Blood may seep to the back of the throat and may clot, producing an “artificial gag” of clotted blood.2014, Anil Aggrawal, APC Essentials of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, page 298
   1. (broadly) An order or rule forbidding discussion of a case or subject.
   2. (figuratively) Any suppression of freedom of speech.
      • Civil Court blocks PM's gag on free speech2021 August 6, Online Reporters, “Civil Court blocks PM's gag on free speech”, in Bangkok Post, retrieved 06 Aug 2021
2. A joke or mischievous prank.
   • We all know how genius “Kamp Krusty,” “A Streetcar Named Marge,” “Homer The Heretic,” “Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie” and “Mr. Plow” are, but even the relatively unheralded episodes offer wall-to-wall laughs and some of the smartest, darkest, and weirdest gags ever Trojan-horsed into a network...2012 May 20, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “Marge Gets A Job” (season 4, episode 7; originally aired 11/05/1992)”, in The Onion AV Club
   1. a device or trick used to create a practical effect; a gimmick
      • On Hacksaw Ridge, Oliver and his team of effects artisans devised gags for that spectacular flamethrower shot along with other devastating body and bullet hits, and several mortar and full-scale explosions, all aimed at communicating the reality of battle.2016 November 3, Ian Failes, “How the King of Practical Effects Conquered ‘Hacksaw Ridge’”, in Inverse
   2. (LGBTQ slang) A shocking or surprising thing.
      • That’s why it was a surprise when Elecktra Bionic won instead of her. No queen in Drag Race history had ever won with no challenge wins before Elecktra, so to say it was a gag would be an understatement.2024 February 20, Dylan Kickham, These Are The 23 Most Controversial Eliminations In 'Drag Race' Herstory

See all 18 meanings of gag